17 years after losing his wife Liam Neeson opens up with heartrending truth about their relationship

The Independence Day, celebrated on the Fourth of July, stands as one of the grandest occasions in America, marked by fireworks displays and parades spanning the nation.

However, for actor Liam Neeson, the days leading up to this festive occasion are filled not with excitement, but with feelings of loss, anguish, and sorrow.

It’s on July 3 that Liam and his late wife Natasha Richardson commemorated their wedding anniversary, a date now shadowed by tragedy.

Prior to the heartbreaking end of their 16-year union, Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson embodied a love reminiscent of the romances portrayed in Hollywood films.

Liam Neeson cherishes the memories of the blissful moments he shared with his beloved wife, Natasha Richardson. Before Natasha, Liam briefly dated Brooke Shields, but it was his encounter with actress Natasha Richardson that marked the beginning of a profound love story.

Their journey began in 1993 when they starred together in the Broadway production of Anna Christie. Their onstage chemistry was undeniable, akin to the legendary partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

At the time, Natasha, then 29, was married to producer Robert Fox. Despite her marital status, her connection with Liam deepened as her marriage crumbled, leading her to fall deeply in love with him.

Their connection was palpable to all observers. Fortunately, Natasha’s marriage to Robert was already unraveling, providing Liam, then 40, with an opportune moment.

On Natasha’s 30th birthday, Liam decided to send her a card from the set of Schindler’s List, where he portrayed Oskar Schindler in the film.

“Happy birthday. You’re catching up with me. Lots of love, Oskar,” he wrote.

However, Natasha didn’t interpret the message in the romantic light Liam intended. Instead, she sought clarity about their relationship.

“This is like a letter from a buddy. What is our relationship?” she queried.

In that moment, Liam realized he had fallen deeply in love with her.

“That was when I knew I really loved this person,” he reflected. “I thought, ‘This is real and genuine and is something that has to be protected.'”

Shortly thereafter, in the summer of 1994, the couple exchanged vows on a farm in upstate New York.

The couple welcomed two sons together.

In 2018, during an appearance on My Favorite Song with John Benjamin Hickey on SiriusXM channel, the 63-year-old Taken actor reminisced about a heartwarming moment from their wedding. Neeson disclosed that their wedding song was Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love.”

They welcomed two sons into their family: Michael in 1995, followed by Daniel in 1996.

Tragically, Natasha passed away in 2009 at the age of 45, following a skiing accident in Quebec.

While taking private skiing lessons at the Mont Tremblant resort near Montreal, Natasha fell on a beginner’s slope, sustaining a blow to the head. Shockingly, she was not wearing a helmet.

Initially, neither Natasha nor anyone else thought her injuries were severe.

Despite feeling fine, Natasha decided to continue with her skiing lesson against her instructor’s advice. Eventually, the instructor called ski patrol for medical assistance and an ambulance, but Natasha refused.

Upon returning to her luxurious Hotel Quintessence room, Natasha and the ski instructor conducted checkups to ensure she was alright. Paramedics who later arrived at the room were turned away. Despite their recommendation for medical attention, Natasha declined.

About an hour after the incident, Natasha began feeling unwell. An ambulance was then summoned, and she was transported to Centre Hospitalier Laurentien in Ste-Agathe before being transferred to Hôpital du Sacre-Coeur.

It was later revealed that Natasha had suffered severe trauma, resulting in her brain being “squashed up against the sides of her skull.”

“I was told she was brain dead. She was on life support and stuff,” Neeson recounted. “And I went in… and told her I loved her. I said, ‘Sweetie, you’re not coming back from this. You’ve banged your head. It’s – I don’t know if you can hear me, but that’s – this is what’s gone down.'”

Ultimately, Neeson made the difficult decision to remove her from life support. He shared on 60 Minutes that they had previously agreed that if either of them were to end up in a “vegetative state,” they would “pull the plug.”

Natasha passed away on March 18, 2009. However, Neeson found solace in discovering that Natasha was an organ donor. He mentioned that her heart, liver, and kidneys were donated to individuals in need.

After the tragic loss of his beloved wife, Liam Neeson remained silent for five years before opening up about his grief in a 2014 episode of 60 Minutes.

“I went in to her and I told her I loved her…” Neeson recounted to Anderson Cooper, admitting that he hadn’t fully grasped the severity of Natasha’s accident.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Neeson found Natasha on life support, her X-rays revealing the extent of her injuries. Doctors informed him that she was alive but in a vegetative state, with no chance of recovery.

Recalling their final conversation, Neeson shared, “I spoke to her and she said, ‘Oh darling. I’ve taken a tumble in the snow.’ That’s how she described it.”

Their last moments together were heart-wrenching as Neeson expressed his love and told her they were bringing her back to New York to be surrounded by family and friends.

Even five years after her passing, Neeson struggled to accept her death, admitting in an interview with Loaded magazine that it still didn’t feel real.

Reflecting on their marriage, Neeson cherished Natasha’s maternal love and nurturing nature, fondly remembering how she cared for everyone and cooked for them.

As organ donors, Natasha’s legacy lived on as she gave life to three individuals, leaving behind a family forever changed by her absence.

Each year, on their wedding anniversary, Neeson honors their love, sharing messages of remembrance and urging others to cherish their loved ones and live each day fully.

“We have to stop and be thankful for our spouses,” Neeson emphasized. “Life is very short… Tell the ones you love, that you love them every day.”

Neeson’s poignant words remind us all to appreciate every moment and to live life to the fullest.

Very true, Liam. Very true indeed.