Jennifer Love Hewitt opens up about grief and her mother’s lasting impact

Jennifer Love Hewitt opens up about grief and her late mother's legacy in her upcoming project, 'Inheriting Magic'. Inspired by the Lifetime movie 'The Holiday Junkie', the book touches on how her mom, Patricia Mae, shaped her life and how Hewitt remembers her.

At Zibby's Bookshop in Los Angeles at a party for the book and movie, Hewitt described her mother as this shining light who connected with people so easily. "I would be on a very successful television show, but when we walked into a restaurant, people couldn't care less about me; they wanted to know who she was," Hewitt told '9-1-1' co-star Bryan Safi. "She was light, she was joy."

Hewitt recalled how her mother made even mundane days magical, putting up Christmas lights to cheer her up after a bad day or even during cramps. Patricia Mae, who passed away from cancer complications in June 2012, left an indelible mark on her daughter's life. Reflecting on her mother's death, Hewitt revealed the media learned of the news before she did. She said she was in Monaco for the Monte Carlo TV Festival and that everyone knew by the time her 10-and-a-half-hour flight landed. "It was a strange experience, but not entirely unfamiliar, as people have always known everything about my life before I did,"she added.

Now, 12 years on, Hewitt says she feels ready to discuss her remembrances and how she finds inspiration from her mother in her own parenting. "I hadn't really talked much about my mom since she passed because I didn't have the words," she said to 'The Hollywood Reporter', "This felt like the right time to say, 'This is what she left behind.'

Some of that journey comes through in 'The Holiday Junkie', which Hewitt directed, executive produced and stars in with her husband, Brian Hallisay, and their three children in cameos. The movie, on Dec 14, explores grief and love during the holidays. On set, a tribute board honored the memories of loved ones lost by cast and crew members. "It just became a collective journey," Hewitt said, adding that everybody felt that they had honored their loved ones through the project.

Hewitt shares more wonderful memories of how her mother used to hold hands before going to work. "She'd say, 'I want you to take my love and support with you,' Hewitt recalled. "It's what I miss the most."