The Sad Truth About Liam Neeson's Love Life

While you may know Liam Neeson as a meticulous action movie star, the actor's relationship history could pass for a tear-jerking Hollywood script. Through the '80s and the '90s, Neeson gained prominence with roles in films like 1987's "Suspect" and 1993's "Schindler's List," the latter of which earned him an Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Paradoxically, while he has garnered much professional success, the movie icon has been unlucky in love. 

Between a whirlwind romance with Julia Roberts and a long-term relationship with Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson has had his fair share of Hollywood belles. Neeson and Mirren dated for a few years in the early '80s, during which they moved in together. But while their relationship might have ended decades ago, Neeson continues to look back fondly on his time with Mirren. "I should be so lucky and be honored to have spent three or four years with that lady," Neeson told People in February 2023 of his years-long romance with the Academy-winning actress. "She's really something else."

Similarly, Mirren has nothing but love for the "Les Misérables" star. "We were not meant to be together in that way, but we loved each other very, very much. I love him deeply to this day. He's such an amazing guy," she gushed to AARP in November 2022. But while Neeson might have had it really good with Mirren, his love life sadly soon took a tragic turn. 

In Hollywood, it is not uncommon for co-stars to fall in love with one another, but with Liam Neeson, it was more often than not. During his heyday, the actor was notorious for dating many of his co-stars. So much so that Brooke Shields, whom he dated between 1991 and 1992, was left with no choice but to down his marriage proposals. "I said, 'No, no, no, because knowing you, you'll probably fall in love with your next leading lady and marry her, so I'm leaving myself out of this,'" Shields told People of the second time Liam asked to marry her. Shields' fears, as it turned out, were soon justified. 

In 1993, Neeson soon met co-star Natasha Richardson on the set of "Anna Christie," a Broadway production they both starred in. During his interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, he recounted falling in love with the English actor who, at the time, was married to producer Robert Fox. In 1994, Neeson and Richardson tied the knot and went on to have two sons together. Sadly, after 16 years together, Richardson and Neeson's love story was cut short after the "Parent Trap" star suffered an accident while skiing in Canada. Two days after the accident, Richardson died of Epidural hematoma, ABC News reported. Though it has been years since Richardson's tragic death, Neeson still reels in the grief of the loss. "It hits me in the middle of the night. I'm out walking. I'm feeling quite content. And it's like suddenly, boom," he once told Esquire.

Since Natasha Richardson's death, Liam Neeson has attempted to get back into the dating scene. In 2010, Neeson was linked to British businesswoman Freya St. Johnson after the pair were spotted leaving a London restaurant together. Sadly, after only two years together, Neeson and St.Johnson broke up, allegedly because the actor was not ready to take the relationship to the next level. "He told her he wanted to spend more time in New York and that he really wants to make more time for his children. Freya wants something more serious, but Liam feels it is too soon. His wife only died three years ago, he wants to take things slow," a source close to the couple told the Daily Mail at the time. 

Though Neeson has not been linked to any other woman since his split from St. Johnson, the actor revealed during an appearance on "Sunrise" that he had fallen in love while filming 2022's "Blacklight" in Australia. "I made a couple of pals ... fell in love, but she was taken," he shared with hosts David Koch and Natalie Barr. But while Neeson might be trying his best to move on from his wife's tragic death, the actor continues to look back fondly on their time together. "She was my everything. Those 16 years of being her husband taught me how to love unconditionally. We have to stop and be thankful for our spouses. Because, one day, when you look up from your phone, they won't be there anymore," he wrote in a 2016 Facebook post.