More than a decade later, Liam is still coping with the heartbreaking loss of the love of his life - Natasha Richardson.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on September 2, 2021. It has since been updated.
Finding love at a time when responsibilities and stress threaten to drown us is certainly not a walk in the park. But those lucky ones who do find it, they're not about to let it go. And this holds true for actor Liam Neeson. Having met the love of his life, he stayed true to his vows, including the one that kept them bound till death did them part. Liam Neeson and his late wife Natasha Richardson have a love story that will break your heart.
These two actors began their journey toward each other when they met in 1993 on the stage of a Broadway show called Anna Christie. At the time, Natasha was married to producer Robert Fox, but there was a special spark that Liam felt when he saw the beautiful woman and he fell head over heels for her.
"I'd never had that kind of an explosive chemistry situation with an actor, or actress," Liam said to Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes.
And four months later, he was able to explore that chemistry when Natasha got divorced and both actors were able to open up to each other. However, they were still unsure as to where they stood. That is until her 30th birthday rolled around and Liam gave her a card that felt platonic. Not ready to accept it, Natasha called him out on it and said, “This is like a letter from a buddy. What is our relationship?” reported Good Housekeeping.
“That was when I knew I really loved this person,” Liam told the NY Daily News. “I thought, ‘This is real and genuine and is something that has to be protected.'” Falling deeper and deeper in love, in the summer of 1994, Liam and Natasha finally exchanged vows.
Then as a couple, they first starred opposite each other in their movie called Nell. A year later, the couple got the chance to bring their first son into the world. Naming him Michael, they introduced him to his new younger brother, Daniel, just months later. It was possibly the happiest time for the couple.
Sadly, it didn't last very long.
Fate pulled them apart when in 2009, Natasha and Liam had gone on a skiing trip to Canada, and tragedy struck the actress. Natasha was killed in a skiing accident, leaving Liam heartbroken and their sons devastated. "She was on life support," he said. "I went in to her and I told her I loved her, said 'Sweetie, you're not coming back from this, you've banged your head,'" the actor said, about how he had to make the tough decision to unplug the life support as per his wife's wishes.
It has been more than 10 years since her passing and the actor still finds it difficult to handle his grief over the loss of his wife. Speaking to Loaded Magazine, he said, "Her death was never real. It still kind of isn't. There're periods now when I hear the door opening, especially the first couple of years... anytime I hear that door opening, I still think I'm going to hear her," quoted Cosmopolitan. According to People, his elder son, Michael is even looking to take on his mother's surname as a way to feel closer to her again.
After years of having to deal with his wife's death, the actor finally decided to move on and look for love once again. He may have been reported to have had a relationship with PR executive Freya St Johnston, but it was shortlived. Still, Liam Neeson is looking for that one person who can make him feel the sparks again, the way he did with his first love, Natasha.
References:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/liam-neeson-on-natasha-richardson-death-and-hollywood-success/
https://tiphero.com/liam-neeson-natasha-richardson-love-story
Cover Image Source: Getty images | Photo by (L) Dennis Clark, (R) Joe Corrigan
