Liam Neeson, one of Hollywood’s most legendary actors, was once married to the late Natasha Richardson—a love story that ended in heartbreak long before his current buzzed-about romance with The Naked Gun co-star Pamela Anderson.
The two first crossed paths on the set of their new comedy, and things sparked fast. “It’s a budding romance in the early stages,” a source told PEOPLE. “It’s sincere, and it’s clear they’re smitten with each other.” The couple, now 73 and 58, have been enjoying each other’s company while promoting the film, which hits theaters Friday, August 1.
As part of the promotional tour, they appeared at the New York premiere together. Pamela brought her sons, Dylan Jagger Lee and Brandon Thomas Lee, while Neeson arrived with his sons, Micheál Richardson and Daniel Neeson. The blended group posed together, giving fans a rare look at both families side by side.
While their new relationship is everywhere online, both have experienced very different pasts when it comes to love. Pamela’s past is packed with high-profile divorces. Neeson, on the other hand, never divorced but lost his wife, Natasha, in a tragic skiing accident that changed everything.
Now, let’s take a closer look at Neeson’s years-long marriage to Natasha and how it all came to a devastating end.
Neeson and Richardson were Married in 1994
Neeson met his future wife, Natasha Richardson, in 1993 while starring opposite her in a Broadway revival of Anna Christie. The chemistry was instant and undeniable.
At the time, Richardson was still married to her producer husband, Robert Fox, but their relationship was already unraveling. She and Fox divorced not long after the play ended.
Looking back, Richardson admitted that falling for Neeson while her marriage was collapsing made things complicated. “Working with him, what happened between us, and that becoming public knowledge in conjunction with my marriage falling apart, was kind of bad timing,” the Maid in Manhattan actress told the New York Daily News in an interview released after her death in 2009. “So what can I say? Obviously I fell very much in love with him.”
Just over a year into their relationship, the couple tied the knot. On July 3, 1994, they said “I do” in an intimate backyard ceremony at their farmhouse in Millbrook, New York. Richardson wore Donna Karan, and about 70 guests were in attendance, including Emma Thompson, Steven Spielberg, and more.
They Had Two Children
Soon after tying the knot, Neeson and his late spouse, Richardson, began building a family of their own. They welcomed their first son, Micheál, on June 22, 1995. Just over a year later, their second son, Daniel, was born on August 27, 1996.
While Daniel has largely stayed out of the spotlight, Micheál has stepped into the family’s acting legacy.
Over the years, the budding actor has appeared in a number of films and TV projects, including Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), Cold Pursuit (2019), Made in Italy (2020), and Somewhere Quiet (2023). His television credits include Big Dogs (2020) and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022).
How did Liam Neeson’s Wife Natasha Richardson die?
On March 16, 2009, Richardson suffered a head injury while taking a beginner skiing lesson at Mont Tremblant Resort in Quebec. Though she initially seemed fine and declined medical attention, she began experiencing a severe headache hours later and was rushed to a hospital in Montreal.
Neeson, who was filming in Toronto at the time, flew in immediately. In a later interview with 60 Minutes, he recalled their final phone call: “I spoke to her, and she said, ‘Oh darling. I’ve taken a tumble in the snow.’” When he arrived, doctors told him she was brain-dead. “Her brain was squashed up against the side of the skull,” he said.
Neeson said his goodbye, telling her, “Sweetie, you’re not coming back from this,” and brought her back to New York so family and friends could say their farewells. Richardson died on March 18, 2009, from an epidural hematoma. She was 45.
Her organs were donated—something Neeson said she would’ve wanted. “She would be very thrilled and pleased by that.”
Years later, The Chronicles of Narnia star shared that he still visits her grave regularly. “I speak to her every day,” he told Inquirer.net. “I go down there quite often, so I do speak to her as if she’s here.”
Since her passing, Neeson dated publicist Freya St. Johnston for a brief period but has remained single. Before marrying Richardson, he had also been linked to Helen Mirren and Barbra Streisand.
