Pierce Brosnan & Keely Shaye Smith's Enduring Love: The 'Bond' Actor Has His Wife's Back No Matter What

Oct 17, 2024

For decades, Hollywood has seen its fair share of flings, affairs, whirlwind romances and lifelong love stories. According to a study conducted by the Marriage Foundation, within the first decade of marriage, celebrities have a divorce rate of around 50%.

Fortunately, actor Pierce Brosnan and his wife, Keely Shaye Smith, have defied these odds. The Irish actor is known for his roles in blockbuster films such as “Mamma Mia!” and the James Bond films “Golden Eye,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “The World Is Not Enough” and “Die Another Day.” 

In 2024, Brosnan, 71, and Smith, 61, celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary. While some may attribute the longevity of their marriage to simply being the luck of the Irish, it may also be that the pair have clearly put in the work to get to where they are today. Either way, over two decades after they tied the knot, Brosnan and Smith have remained one of the few enviable couples in the limelight.

The couple share two sons, Paris Brosnan, 23, and Dylan Brosnan, 27. Pierce also has another son, actor Sean Brosnan, from his marriage to late Australian actress Cassandra Harris. Brosnan’s family also includes his late daughter, the actress Charlotte Brosnan, and another son, Christopher Brosnan, who he adopted during his first marriage with Harris.

But how do Pierce and his wife juggle their brood and their beautiful union? Well, over the years, the actor has shown that despite his never-ending fame, his love for his family remains the top priority. From showing up for his children to standing up for his wife, Pierce has proven to be the quintessential family man. 

For us hopeless romantics, there is always something to admire about a love story. Pierce and Smith have certainly given us a great one over the course of their marriage. The couple, who first met in April 1994, had the ultimate fairytale wedding in a castle in Ireland on Aug. 4, 2001. More than two decades later, they still tug at our heartstrings with their gestures of affection. The actor commemorated their 23rd wedding anniversary with a heartwarming post on Instagram and an even sweeter caption:

“Happy 23rd anniversary my darling Keely, my beautiful brown eyed girl, my north, my south, my east and west. All my love, should I fall behind, wait for me.”

Smith has in the past taken several opportunities to reflect on her love story with the Irish actor, including the time she reminisced about their first date. She said Pierce and her “sat down under the stars and he held my hand. There were fireworks going off over our heads, and Kenny Loggins was singing. We talked until 3 in the morning.”

It was love at first sight for the couple, who defied the odds and have had a lasting marriage in Hollywood. They have both opened up about their initial feelings for one another, completely melting our hearts in the process. According to PEOPLE, Smith said:

“He was captivating. Tall, dark and handsome, everything that everybody would immediately be attracted to. He had this mischievous sparkle in his eyes. I thought, ‘Wow! Wow’”

While she echoed all our sentiments about the James Bond actor, she certainly was the special lady who won his heart.

Meanwhile, Brosnan makes a point to express his undying love for Smith, as well as his gratitude for having her in his life. He did so when speaking to the Independent in 2018, as per PEOPLE. Speaking on what he loves about the journalist, Brosnan said:

“I love her vitality, her passion. She has this strength that I wouldn't be able to live without. When Keely looks at me, I go weak.”

With such a romantic start, it’s no wonder the two have been together for so long now.

Pierce and Smith have weathered the storms of life and come out on the other side. From the beginning of their relationship, they have supported one another through personal and professional hurdles. After losing his first wife to cancer, Brosnan dealt with grief and heartache and credits Smith for sticking with him through the tough times. In an interview with The Sun, the actor reminisced on how Smith helped him grieve Harris and saved him from depression during the time:

“Keely has always been kind and compassionate and encouraged me to mourn Cassie … I think of her all the time. I suppose Keely is my North Star, always looking out for me,” he said.

It is also worth noting that the actor subsequently lost his daughter with Harris to cancer and has since given time and money to cancer research causes. The actor opened up to Esquire about the losses: 

"I don't look at the cup as half full, believe me. The dark, melancholy Irish dog sits beside me from time to time," he told the magazine.

He said during a speech at a fundraiser for cancer research, "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 indelible part of your psyche."

Brosnan has also fiercely defended Smith against body-shamers and critics. Online trolls came after the journalist and former model, criticizing her weight gain over the years. He proved that his love for her and the love they share goes beyond skin-deep and stands the test of time. The actor immediately stood up for his stunning wife against the slander. In his response, the actor said:

"She is the most beautiful woman in my eyes. And also because she had our five children. In the past, I truly loved her for her person, not only for her beauty, and now I’m loving her even more that she is my children’s mother. And I am very proud of her, and I always seek to be worthy of her love." 

Like the quintessential gentleman and loving husband he is, the actor once said of his wife:

“I found a great woman in Keely Shaye. Not if I searched a million times over would I find one as good.”

We couldn’t be happier for the pair! 

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