The Tragic Fate of Rosemary Sinclair: What Really Happened in ‘We Were Liars’

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In Episode 3 of “We Were Liars,” we learn the heartbreaking truth about Rosemary Sinclair’s fate. Although Emily Alyn Lind’s character, Cadence Sinclair Eastman, is at the core of the story in “We Were Liars,” the Amazon Prime Video series delves into the highs and lows of the Sinclair family as they grapple with their individual hardships and concealed secrets. The intricate Sinclair family lineage is presided over by its head, Harris Sinclair, and his wife, Tipper Sinclair. They have four daughters: Penny, Carrie, Bess, and Rosemary (the often overlooked sibling of the Sinclairs who isn’t frequently discussed within the family).

Who Is Rosemary Sinclair In We Were Liars, and What Happened to Her?

In “We Were Liars,” it’s revealed that the seemingly flawless and affluent Sinclair family harbors a long-standing, hidden tragedy connected to Rosemary Sinclair, which has cast a shadow over them despite their attempts to conceal it.

In the story “We Were Liars,” it is mentioned that Rosemary is the youngest child of Harris and Tipper Sinclair, with Carrie, Penny, and Bess being her older sisters. During Episode 2, Carrie reveals an interesting fact: none of them are Harris’ favorite daughter because they were all considered “messy” individuals, as their father dislikes disorder. Interestingly, it is noted that Harris still watches a video of his late daughter’s 8th birthday celebration, suggesting that Rosemary holds a special place in his heart.

Episode 3 of “We Were Liars” centers around the funeral of Tipper, who passed away in the previous episode due to heart complications. In a heartfelt discussion between Penny and Cadence as they make preparations for the service, Penny reveals the devastating truth about Rosemary’s fate and why the family chose to conceal it and carry on with their lives.

Penny shared with Cadence that Tipper suggested they should focus on the future and exclude the topic of the person they’ve lost from their discussions, demonstrating resilience as the Sinclair family continues after losing Rosemary.

Penny: “We are Sinclairs. We manage with our backs straight, like my mother said.”

Cadence: “Once I fix my posture?”

When we said goodbye to Rosemary, I was younger than you are now. My mom gave me some great advice at that time. She told me to get back into my normal routine and focus on the future. If you need to mention the person we lost, try not to show your pain. If you can follow these guidelines, eventually, you’ll find a way to move past the hurt.

In the novel “We Were Liars,” specifics about Rosemary’s demise were not extensively explored, as details regarding her were scattered sparingly throughout the narrative. A casual remark from Carrie hinted at Rosemary passing away while she was still quite young, possibly before or after her 11th birthday (as Carrie stated that Bess has been attempting to act like their late mother or a deceased 11-year-old girl to win Harris’s favor).

This demonstrates even more clearly that the Sinclairs struggle with dealing with grief in a compassionate manner. They opted against acknowledging or discussing Rosemary out of fear it might tarnish their polished image and standing (as you can learn from how Gat and Cadence’s relationship helped Cadence uncover the truth about her family).

How Did Rosemary Die In We Were Liars?

Without disclosing specifics about Rosemary’s demise in “We Were Liars,” the prequel novel, “Family of Liars” penned by E. Lockhart, offers valuable insights into the unfortunate accident that led to the youngest Sinclair sibling’s death and her ultimate passing.

It was disclosed that Rosemary passed away at the age of 10 in August 1986, having drowned. While swimming, Rosemary was left unattended as Agata, a 20-year-old au pair for the Sinclair family, went inside to fetch sweaters because of the approaching rain.

Upon her return, Agata observed that Rosemary was battling against turbulent seas caused by heavy rain, already far out in the open ocean. Sadly, Rosemary succumbed to the powerful waves, and the Sinclair family opted to suppress their sorrow to maintain the seemingly flawless life they cherished.

Harris and Tipper opted to concentrate on the future, disregarding Rosemary’s passing. Although it seemed that Tipper was untroubled, the “We Were Liars” series hinted that Harris continued to grapple with his daughter’s demise. However, he displayed signs of sorrow primarily in private and not openly, even around his family.

Despite making a valiant effort to sweep Rosemary’s death under the rug and pretend as if everything was normal, her three sisters returned to school as though nothing of significance had occurred. This unfortunate incident, however, has left an indelible mark on the Sinclair family’s history, serving as a stark reminder of their flaws and shortcomings.

The story in “We Were Liars” centers around Cadence’s journey to reconstruct her memories of the summer of 2016 following a severe brain injury. Emily Alyn Lind takes the lead role, with Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada, Shubham Maheshwari, Candice King, Caitlyn Fitzgerald, Rahul Kohli, and David Morse making up the rest of the cast. “We Were Liars” had its debut on Prime Video on June 18, 2025.

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2025-06-23 00:04