How did Rebecca Godfrey die? Under the Bridge author's demise details explored

Rebecca Godfrey, the acclaimed author of Under the Bridge, died on October 3, 2022, in Manhattan. Her agent, Christy Fletcher, confirmed her death, revealing that she succumbed to complications from lung cancer at the age of 54. Her death ended an amazing writing career that had a big effect on her fans and the literary community as a whole.

Despite her illness, she remained active in her literary pursuits and collaborations. In 2020, Godfrey worked with Quinn Shephard to adapt Under the Bridge into a Hulu miniseries, a project she continued to work on until her death, showing her passion and desire to share her stories.

Rebecca was a distinguished writer known for her detailed and compassionate exploration of teenage life and crime. She was born on December 2, 1967, in Toronto and raised in Victoria, British Columbia.

In Victoria, Godfrey studied a juvenile detention center for her book The Torn Skirt, which sparked her interest in the Reena Virk case. Godfrey wrote Under the Bridge, a sympathetic and analytical look at the crime and its effects since she was so interested in it.

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Making of Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey

While researching her first novel, Godfrey discovered the Reena Virk case, which inspired her second book, Under the Bridge, published in 2005. The book won the British Columbia National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction for investigating Reena Virk's beating death. The drama vividly describes how a group of teens beat 14-year-old Reena Virk to death. Godfrey's sympathetic narration highlighted the criminals' vulnerabilities and the societal challenges they faced.

Rebecca Godfrey came from a literary family. Her mother, Ellen (Swartz) Godfrey, was an editor and mystery writer, while her father, David Godfrey, was an English professor and publisher.

She pursued English at the University of Toronto and earned her M.F.A. in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her first novel, The Torn Skirt, showcased her talent for capturing the complexities of teenage life.

Riley Keough as Rebecca Godfrey in the 'Under the Bridge' (Image via Instagram/@underthebridgehulu)

In an interview with The Believer in June 2019, Rebecca Godfrey said that a life incident made her write about the rebellious teenage characters in The Torn Skirt and Under the Bridge. She said,

"I had a fraught and very difficult teenage experience—my brother drowned when I was thirteen. I went a little wild after that and lost interest in high school, and got into the punk scene in downtown Victoria. Being in that scene was great because I could hide behind this mask of anger and coolness and toughness, and think, "Oh, I look scary, so everyone will leave me alone.""

Furthermore, Rebecca actually didn't research any fictional events to write her book about Virk's murder, it was all so natural. She mentioned,

"It was so incredible as truth. I wanted to have the reality of an investigation and a trial. I found the courtroom fascinating. The collision of the very official world of police, judges and lawyers—which was, in this case, almost one-hundred percent male—coming up against these young girls was so unusual."

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Under the Bridge: How Godfrey became a part of the series

The adaptation of the book into a Hulu series brought Godfrey's work to life on screen. Quinn Shephard, who co-produced the series, included Godfrey as a character played by Riley Keough.

The book and series follow the 1997 death of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old girl from British Columbia who was beaten and drowned in the Gorge Waterway, and the subsequent investigation that led to the sentencing of six teenage girls and one boy.

To adapt the story for television, series creator Quinn Shephard collaborated closely with Godfrey until her death from lung cancer in October 2022.

According to an exclusive interview with TheWrap, Godfrey chose Riley Keough, known for her role in Daisy Jones & The Six, to portray her in the Hulu adaptation.

When asked if Rebecca personally approved of the casting of Riley Keough, Quinn mentioned,

"Rebecca passed away a few weeks before we started shooting the pilot, but she was super creatively involved in the years before. She was very excited that it was Riley who was playing her."

This portrayal highlighted Godfrey's personal connection to the story and her empathetic approach to the crime and its aftermath. Godfrey's extensive research and personal diaries contributed significantly to the authenticity of the series.

With its empathetic and comprehensive description of a tragedy, this is a major true crime work. Her posthumous novel, Peggy, is expected to enrich her literary legacy.