James Haskell has revealed how telling his father he loved him brought some comfort following their “traumatic” final meeting.
Speaking on the On the Mend podcast, the former England rugby star said he had spent the previous decade making sure both his parents knew how he felt. James, who shares daughter Bodhi with ex-wife Chloe Madeley, also arranged for the youngster to visit her grandfather as Jonathan’s health worsened.
“I didn’t want to have things like in the movies where people say, ‘I wish I’d said it,'” James explained. “So I always said, ‘I love you. Thank you. I’m grateful.'”
Jonathan’s death was announced in May 2025 following what was described at the time as a long illness. James has now opened up about his father’s medical complications, the decision to stop treatment and the difficult practical issues surrounding his grief.
James Haskell reflects on final goodbye to his father
James recalled having lunch with Jonathan and Bodhi during what would be one of their final family visits. He kissed his father and told him he loved him before leaving. Jonathan suffered a major stroke that night.
By the time James last saw his dad, the family had agreed to palliative care. Jonathan had a fever and was struggling to breathe, while James, his mother and his brother Edward tried to make him more comfortable.
After speaking to his mother, James decided to return to London to handle practical matters. He kissed Jonathan and again told him he loved him before leaving the hospital. His father died two days later.
Reflecting on that final visit, James told On the Mend: “Do I want that to be the last time I saw him? No. But my life is full of amazing memories of my dad.”
He said everyday moments still leave him wanting to call Jonathan, particularly when something funny happens that he would previously have shared with him.
Family faced heartbreaking palliative care decision
James said Jonathan had been living with diabetes and had undergone amputations involving some of his toes. He claimed his father was reluctant to seek medical help, including after James believed he had experienced a smaller stroke.
Following the major stroke, Jonathan was admitted to hospital. James said his father was paralysed on one side, unable to swallow and had lost the use of one eye. According to his account, doctors said Jonathan’s heart was functioning at 15 per cent.
James said his father was also dealing with pneumonia and complications linked to diabetes. He described Jonathan as having suffered two “massive strokes” in the centre of his brain.
After two weeks in hospital, the family were told he was not expected to recover. Recalling the conversation about ending treatment, James said: “We had to agree to have palliative care, to switch it off. This is carnage where you sit in a room, and the nurse says, ‘He’s not going to get better.’ The doctor goes, ‘Just give me a thumbs up’.”
He added: “We’re basically signing for him to stop treatment to eventually die. And I’m like, ‘Well, hold on a minute…'”
James faced practical pressures alongside grief
As his father remained critically ill, James claimed he also had to take responsibility for unresolved debts, business matters and legal issues. He said he had warned Jonathan that the affairs needed to be settled and had even discussed the expected problems with his therapist before his father’s death.
James admitted that handling those matters made an already painful period more complicated. However, while he remained frustrated that his father had not looked after his health or resolved his affairs, he said he felt love rather than anger towards him.
Read more: James Haskell reveals ‘regret’ over decision he made after ex Chloe Madeley gave birth
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