As Pamela Anderson wraps up one of the biggest comeback years of her career, the 58-year-old star is opening up about a headline-making relationship she has never fully addressed – her unexpected, whirlwind romance with The Naked Gun co-star Liam Neeson.
The actor, 72, appeared alongside Anderson in the summer blockbuster, sparking immediate speculation about their chemistry both on and off the screen. Now, for the first time, Anderson is setting the record straight.
In her new PEOPLE cover story, Anderson says the rumors were true: she and Neeson became romantically involved, but not during filming. “If you must know, Liam and I were romantically involved for a short while, but only after we finished filming,” she explains.
According to Anderson, the pair spent what she describes as “an intimate week” at Neeson’s home in upstate New York. Though they were romantically connected, she emphasizes that the visit wasn’t a traditional couple’s getaway. “I had my own room,” she says, adding that both of their assistants joined them. “Even family stopped by.”
A Dreamlike Week Together
During their time together, Anderson says the pair fell into an unexpectedly cozy routine. They visited a small French restaurant where Neeson introduced her as “the future Mrs. Neeson,” a moment she recalls with a mix of humor and affection.
Dylan Jagger Lee, Brandon Thomas Lee, Pamela Anderson, Liam Neeson, Daniel Neeson, Micheál Neeson at The Naked Gun New York Premiere. Credit: Kristina Bumphrey / Getty Images.
At his country home, she even did a bit of gardening. “I tended to a rosebush overgrown with mint,” she says. “I was happy to help, and he appreciated it.”
One moment in particular has stayed with her: Neeson, wearing nothing but his bathrobe, chasing a bear away from the kitchen window during breakfast.
Anderson describes the week as “romantic” but also surreal, noting that both returned to their respective film commitments shortly after. “We went our separate ways to work on other films,” she says.
Reconnecting for Press
The pair reunited months later during the promotional tour for The Naked Gun, where they were seen exchanging affectionate gestures. Anderson even applied her Sonsie lip balm to Neeson’s lips during an appearance on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live, a moment that went viral among fans.
“We were having fun,” Anderson says, likening their dynamic to the effortless charm of a Nancy Meyers movie. She laughs at accusations that their public closeness was a publicity ploy. “A publicity stunt? This is real. We have real feelings.”
“We’ll Always Be in Each Other’s Lives”
Although Anderson says they ultimately realized they were better as friends, she still holds enormous affection for Neeson. They last saw each other in August, when Neeson surprised her by attending her performance in Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real at the Williamstown Theater Festival.
“He is such a supporter of this new trajectory in my career and kindly tells me he is very proud of me,” Anderson says. “I’m sure we will always be in each other’s lives.”