Pierce Brosnan's Late Daughter Charlotte Got Married Weeks Before She Tragically Died Of The Same Disease As Her Mom

Oct 06, 2023

Pierce Brosnan’s impact and reputation in the action movie genre is one that precedes him in the movie industry as a whole. He is popularly known for his role as James Bond in four films of the Bond series from 1995 to 2002, among other impressive roles. Aside from his reputation as an iconic actor, Brosnan is also a loving father of five children.

Although the actor enjoyed his fair share of success, he also had a series of heartbreaking periods playing out in the public eye. His first wife, Cassandra Harris, passed away after battling cancer. Cassandra’s mom was also diagnosed with cancer during her lifetime.

Tragically, years later, Brosnan's stepdaughter with his late wife Cassandra, Charlotte, battled the same type of cancer as her mom and died prematurely. While the bereaved family bade their loved one farewell on June 28, 2013, Brosnan had secretly walked his late daughter down the aisle days before her tragic death. 

Brosnan and Cassandra became acquainted in 1977 at a mutual friend's house when she was still married to Dermot Harris. At the time, Cassandra already had two children, Charlotte and Christopher. Two years after divorcing Dermot, she and Brosnan tied the knot in December 1980. He would go on to adopt Cassandra's children in 1986 after their biological father's death. The couple welcomed a son, Sean, in 1983.

Unfortunately, the "Boeing Boeing" actress was diagnosed with aggressive ovarian cancer in 1987. Cassandra sadly passed away close to her and Brosnan’s 11th anniversary in December 1991. Brosnan, who was lying beside her when she passed on, described that experience as "the longest night of my life." He shared:

“I was in a helpless state of…confusion and anger. She was comforting me. She has made me the man I am, the actor I am, the father I am."

After going through the heartbreak of losing his first love, the "Black Adam" actor thought he would never find love again. Fortunately, in 1994, Brosnan met Keely Shaye Smith in a Mexican bar, and the pair got married in 2001. They have two children.

While speaking to Mirror, Brosnan shared that Smith helped him through his heartbreak, but Cassandra still had a special place in his heart. He shared:

"I know what it is like to be a widower and what it is like to find love again. 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."

The same tragedy, unfortunately, happened again as Charlotte was also diagnosed with the same cancer that killed her mother. She succumbed to the ailment in June 2013. The actor revealed to 9Honey that losing two women he loved very much resulted in depression. He relayed:

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

This heartrending experience of losing the love of his life and his daughter taught him extra values of fatherhood. Brosnan has always valued fatherhood, most likely because his father left him when he was still a child. The actor once shared with The Independent that he leaves work behind when he goes home after work at the studio. Brosnan shared that life at home was "around the kitchen table and what's happening in our children's lives."

Despite Brosnan's current happiness with Smith and their children, his past losses still carry a lot of pain and memories. Fortunately, Charlotte did not pass on without experiencing love and taking it to the next level. A few weeks before Charlotte passed on in 2013, the "Nancy Astor" star walked her down the aisle. Charlotte had secretly tied the knot with her boyfriend, Alex Smith. The wedding ceremony was graced by only a small group of family and friends on June 14, 2013. Per DailyMail, a friend of the family who was present at the wedding shared:

"It was the most moving day of my life. It wasn’t a day to be sad. Alex and Pierce were smiling broadly."

Following Charlotte's death, Brosnan released a statement that read: "On June 28 at 2 pm my darling daughter Charlotte Emily passed on to eternal life, having succumbed to ovarian cancer. She was surrounded by her husband Alex, children Isabella and Lucas, and brothers Christopher and Sean."

The actor continued: "Charlotte fought her cancer with grace and humanity, courage and dignity. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our beautiful dear girl. We pray for her and that the cure for this wretched disease will be close at hand soon. We thank everyone for their heartfelt condolences."

After Charlotte's death, Brosnan threw himself into work, and a source close to the actor shared with Us Weekly that he was "beside himself, having to deal with this kind of loss again." The source also explained that he was doing all he could to comfort his daughter's family and hoped her death would bring awareness to the tragedy of cancer. 

Despite the losses Pierce Brosnan endured, isn't it comforting that he was able to witness some of his loved ones' most blissful moments? What do you think of his journey through the tragic events he suffered over the years? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to other Brosnan fans.