Couples

Pierce Brosnan Admits He Was ‘Lucky to Find Love Again’ With Wife Keely Shaye Smith

Closer Staff

Updated

on

pierce-keely
CAP D'ANTIBES, FRANCE - MAY 17: Keely Shaye Smith and Pierce Brosnan arrive at the amfAR Gala Cannes 2018 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 17, 2018 in Cap d'Antibes, France. (Photo by Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage)

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again star Pierce Brosnan will never forget the day his first wife, Cassandra Harris, died at age 43 in 1991 from ovarian cancer — the same disease that killed her mother, Roma Waites.

“[Cassie] made me the man I am, the actor I am, the father I am,” Pierce once said about his former flame. “There is an incredible cruelty in it all, losing a person you shared everything with.” 

The 66-year-old actor explained that Cassandra’s death was so tragic that it took him quite some time to get over it. “This is the first time in my life I’ve ever experienced bereavement,” he told People in 1992. “And it’s overwhelming.”

pierce-brosnan and cassandra harris

After Cassandra passed away, Pierce didn’t think he would ever find love again — at least until his second wife, Keely Shaye Smith, walked into his life.

“I had a great marriage which sadly had its own ending, and I was lucky enough to find love again. We were meant to find each other. I thank God for her every day,” Pierce has admitted. It was almost like time stopped when Pierce met Keely, a journalist, for the first time.

“We talked until 3 in the morning,” the TV personality gushed to People in another interview. “He had this mischievous sparkle in his eyes. I thought, ‘Wow! Wow!’” The two soon became inseparable. In 2001, the couple got married, and later that year, they welcomed their second kid, Paris, 18, into the world after Keely gave birth to their first child, Dylan, 22, in 1997.

pierce-keely

“I’m at a very good time in my life. My family is healthy and so am I,” Pierce revealed. The actor is also a proud parent to his older kids, Christopher, 46; Sean, 35; and Charlotte, who also died from ovarian cancer at age 41.

“You’re going to suffer one way or the other. It’s truly unavoidable,” Pierce said about dealing with grief. “You just have to know that the days will get better, and you have to endure whatever pain has been given to you.”

Pierce is so strong!

Be sure to check out and subscribe to our Classic TV & Film Podcast for interviews with your favorite stars! 

For more on Pierce Brosnan, pick up the latest issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now — and be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

CL2919_cover_final

Trending News

Cheryl Tiegs 2008 Cheryl Tiegs 2008
Celebrity4 days ago

America’s First Supermodel Turns 79 — She Married Gregory Peck’s Son and Had Twins at 52

Soap Opera4 days ago

‘General Hospital’s’ Charlotte Has a Famous Hollywood Dad You May Recognize From ‘Twilight’

Celebrity4 days ago

Klinger’s Dog Tags on ‘M*A*S*H’ Were Really Jamie Farr’s Own—and at 92 His Name Raised $14 Million

Celebrity3 days ago

The ‘M*A*S*H’ Actress Who Made History in the Boxing Ring After Leaving Hollywood

Soap Opera4 days ago

‘The Young and the Restless’ Michelle Stafford and Amelia Heinle Get Real About a ‘Doll Baby’ Costar

Exclusive4 days ago

Prince Harry ‘Loves Getting a Rise’ Out of ‘Ice Cold’ Prince William as Siblings’ ‘Sad’ Rift Deepens

Celebrity News4 days ago

‘Terms of Endearment’ Star Debra Winger, 71, Arrested Outside the U.N., Calls It Her ‘Honor’

Celebrity2 days ago

‘M*A*S*H’ Fans Never Knew Klinger Was Based on This Controversial Comedy Legend

Heather Locklear Lorenzo Lamas Heather Locklear Lorenzo Lamas
Celebrity Couples5 days ago

Heather Locklear Celebrates 65 as Lorenzo Lamas’ Joke About Their Future Stirs Debate

Celebrity2 days ago

‘Bold and the Beautiful’ Heartthrob Left the Soap After 2 Years — Now He Writes Hallmark Mysteries With His Wife of 30 Years

Andrea Thompson Andrea Thompson
Celebrity5 days ago

‘NYPD Blue’ Star Left the Squad at 40 to Get Her GED — 14 Months Later She Was Anchoring CNN

Ricky Schroder ESPY Awards Ricky Schroder ESPY Awards
Nostalgia3 days ago

This Beloved ’80s Sitcom Premiered 44 Years Ago — Its Star Later Became a Gritty ‘NYPD Blue’ Detective