Isla Fisher ‘Heartbroken’ Over Death of ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ Author Sophie Kinsella
Isla Fisher is mourning English novelist Sophie Kinsella, who died December 10 at the age of 55. Kinsella had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2022.
Isla Fisher calls ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ author her ‘hero’
Kinsella – whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham – was the best-selling author of the Shopaholic novels. The first two books in the series were adapted into a 2009 movie starring Fisher as the title character, Rebecca Bloomwood.
“I am so heartbroken that you are gone,” Fisher wrote on her Instagram Story on Wednesday.
In another post, the Now You See Me actor thanked Kinsella for creating the Rebecca character, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances.
“You conjured Rebecca Bloomwood, a hilarious, flawed dream of a comic character – and I was lucky enough to step into her shoes and speak your witty and brilliant words,” Fisher said.
“My daughters grew up being read your books and love them to this day. My heart is broken,” she continued. “You are still my hero, and I am grateful for you. And though we won’t meet again, your light and magic lives on in your incredible characters.”
Fisher has said that she was a fan of the Shopaholic books “long before” she was cast as Rebecca.
“I actually thought to myself, ‘I really hope that if they make a movie about this that they capture the essence of Rebecca Bloomwood,'” she said in a 2009 interview. “I never even thought for a second I would be lucky enough to get the role!”
Sophie Kinsella ‘will be missed so much,’ family says
In addition to nine Shopaholic books, Kinsella wrote several standalone stories novels, including Can You Keep a Secret? and The Burnout. She also published seven novels under her real name, starting with 1995’s The Tennis Party. Her last book, 2024’s What Does It Feel Like?, is an autobiographical novella about a novelist who is diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Kinsella, who is survived by her husband and five children, “died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy,” her family said in a statement shared on Instagram.
“We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life,” they continued. “Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed – to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received. She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking.”
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