Pierce Brosnan ‘Held’ His Wife’s And Daughter’s Hands As They Passed Away From The Same Disease

Jun 21, 2022

Life in the limelight is not always as glamorous as people may think. The sense of fame and fortune that follows is definitely a perk for celebrities, but sometimes a lack of privacy is accumulated in return. For some, this means speaking out about some of the more challenging moments of their lives, such as going through a public breakup or losing a loved one.

Actor Pierce Brosnan is most known for his role as secret agent James Bond in four James Bond films, including “GoldenEye,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “The World Is Not Enough,” and “Die Another Day.” He has also portrayed the character in a variety of video games in the same universe.

Brosnan moved to London, England, at 11 years old and went on to study at the Drama Center. He found work as a stage actor and quickly made his way to television and film, with one of his first breakthrough roles being in the TV series “Remington Steele.” Afterward, he found more success in films and ultimately went on to achieve worldwide fame for his role as James Bond.

However, Brosnan has had his fair share of struggles over the years. He was married to his first wife, Cassandra Harris, for 11 years before she sadly passed away. The couple had one biological son together, and Cassandra had two other children from a previous marriage, including Charlotte. After grieving the loss of his first wife, Brosnan also grieved the loss of Charlotte. He had been with them during their final moments.

Brosnan is known for being a brilliant actor and a kind-hearted person. He has been married to actress and journalist Keely Shaye Smith since 2001. Over the years, Smith has been by Brosnan’s side to support him and help him in any way possible. And over the course of their marriage, Brosnan has been sure to return the favor and defend his wife from those who criticize her. 

Even though Brosnan has had a successful Hollywood career, his life has been dotted with immense personal tragedy. His wife Cassandra passed away from ovarian cancer, and 22 years later, his daughter Charlotte succumbed to the same fate. Smith helped the James Bond star learn to love again following the death of his first wife, Cassandra, and was there by his side when he suffered another hard loss, the death of his daughter Charlotte.

According to RSVP Live, Brosnan and Cassandra met in 1977. Cassandra was married at the time and already had two children, Christopher and Charlotte, who were 15 and 14 years old at the time. Brosnan and Cassandra eventually started dating and married in December 1980. They also had a son together named Sean.

“We just clicked as a family,” he told The Mirror. “To begin with I was Pierce, then I was Daddy Pierce, and then I just became Dad. Charlotte and Chris have just been amazing in my life.”

Sadly, the Brosnans did not have that much time together as a family. Unfortunately, Brosnan and the rest of his family faced many challenges in the years ahead.

In 1987, Cassandra was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She passed away in December 1991 at the age of 43. Pierce held her hand and prayed while she slipped away and was enveloped in grief. He told People in 1992 that "There is an incredible cruelty in it all. Losing a person you shared everything with."

It was a struggle for the children and Brosnan. "When your partner gets cancer, then life changes," he said. "Your timetable and reference for your normal routines and the way you view life, all this changes. Because you're dealing with death."

When his daughter Charlotte was diagnosed with the same disease decades later, he would once again have to face the overwhelming bereavement.

Charlotte was only 41 when she passed away in 2013. According to 9Honey, he had been filming "The November Man" in Europe at the time and rushed home to be with his daughter before her death.

Brosnan spoke at a Stand Up to Cancer event the following year and expressed his anger and sadness in the twin tragedies. "I held the generous, strong, beautiful hand of my first wife Cassie as ovarian cancer took her life much too soon," he said, according to Good Housekeeping. "And just last year, I held the hand of my funny, wonderful daughter Charlotte before she too died from this wretched, inherited disease."

Pierce has since remarried and has four children, including two sons from his marriage with Cassandra. And all these years later, and even after starring in the fun-filled romp "Mamma Mia," there is still a sadness in his heart.

Losing two people so important to him left Brosnan in a state of depression, according to 9Honey. "I don't look at the cup as half full, believe me," he said. "The dark, melancholy Irish dog sits beside me from time to time." He continued, "To watch someone you love have his or her life eaten away bit by bit by this insidious disease, that kind of sorrow becomes an inedible part of your psyche."

Irish Central reported that Brosnan is not always a fan of religious groups, but he turned to prayer to help him overcome the grief from losing his wife and his daughter. According to Cigar Aficionado, he said, "But you learn to be happy within all of that; you learn how to create your own happiness. And you learn to forgive. You learn to rise above it."

The actor also said, "(Prayer) helped me with the loss of my wife to cancer and with a child who had fallen on tough times. Now prayer helps me to be a father, to be an actor and to be a man. It always helps to have a bit of prayer in your back pocket."

On top of that, Brosnan's marriage to Smith also helped him come to terms with his loss. While he has realized it's important to grieve, he has also realized it's important to keep living his life. "I know what it is like to be a widower and what it is like to find love again," Brosnan said. "So I know there's hope and that you have to learn to get on with it. But the memory of Cassie and her fight against cancer is never forgotten."

Did you know about Pierce Brosnan’s private life? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to the loved ones in your life.