Patrick Swayze’s Wife Lisa Niemi Reflects on the Actor’s ‘Casanova’ Reputation: He Was ‘Gentlemanly’

Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi’s relationship got off to an interesting start. But once she unraveled the layers of his reputation as a ladies’ man, they had a blissful 34-year marriage.

“We had a little contentious start because … he had a kind of reputation as a Casanova; I had a reputation as a bad girl, and we were supposed to stay away from each other,” Lisa, 67, said during an appearance on the “Amy and T.J. Podcast” on Monday, April 8.

Lisa admitted that she “didn’t know” if their connection would “culminate in a very long term marriage.” The choreographer first met the Ghost actor through their love of dance.

“My first dance teacher was his mom, so that’s how we met,” she told hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes. “He was my first dance partner.”

“He had quite a significant amount of girlfriends … of course he was very handsome and sought after, but I think he was looking for something more than just fooling around,” she continued about the late actor. “He wasn’t a womanizer, he was very gentlemanly.”

Swayze, who married Lisa in 1975, made his film debut in 1979’s Skatetown, U.S.A. He grew prominence with roles in 1987’s Dirty Dancing and 1989’s Road House but never let the fame get to his head.

“He would open the door for me and I’d freak out about that – ‘I can open up my own door!’ He actually liked that because he was going places and he was going to be doing things and he wanted somebody to come along that could do ‘em with him. Not just sit and file their nails,” Lisa recalled.

Swayze died on September 14, 2009, at age 57 after battling pancreatic cancer. Five years later, Lisa married her second husband, Albert DePrisco.

“I have to say, that the love I have for Patrick was never in conflict or competition with my feelings for Albert,” she told People in May 2014. “That is until Albert asked me to marry him!”

The Steel Dawn actress felt that Patrick would ultimately be happy for her new chapter of life.

“About a month and a half ago, I had a dream about Patrick,” she told the outlet. “It was like he was giving me his blessing and letting me know it was okay. Again, it can be hard sometimes to take those steps forward, but it doesn’t change the way we feel about someone. He was letting me know that.”