Rumors quickly surfaced that Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson were dating for real as the pair began promoting their 2025 movie release, Akiva Schaffer's The Naked Gun reboot. Fans and celebrities alike subsequently expressed joy over the Anderson/Neeson pairing. However, recent reports surfaced and suggested the relationship was staged as part of the movie’s brilliantly coordinated marketing push. Now, insiders are now speaking out to set the record straight.
According to a report by People, sources close to the actors insist that the relationship is very real. One unnamed individual told the outlet:
Everything between them has been genuine. Neither would ever take part in a publicity stunt. They have a great time. Neither of them needs the publicity.
After the high-profile pairing was first reported on, it sparked speculation in regard to whether it was real or staged. However, another source reassured People that the romance is genuine, adding:
Their relationship isn’t just for show. They have a real connection. There’s no incentive for either of them to stage something like this.
The clarification comes after TMZ published a report this week, which claimed that publicists for Neeson, 73, and Anderson, 58, manufactured the pairing to coincide with the release of The Naked Gun. The outlet even alleged the actors had never gone on a one-on-one date, a claim another insider dismissed as “ridiculous.” Back in late July, a source connected to the flick shared with People that Anderson and Neeson were in the “early days” of a growing romance.
As for the couple's recently released reboot, it sees Neeson star as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s original bumbling cop of the ’80s spoof comedy series. Anderson plays Beth, a femme fatale character who becomes entangled with Drebin during his investigation into her brother’s death. It was that on-screen chemistry that fanned the fames of rumors of an off-screen connection.
At the film’s New York premiere on July 28, the two actors even blended their families on the red carpet, posing with their children from previous relationships. Liam Neeson attended with his sons, Micheál, 30, and Daniel, 28, while Anderson was joined by her sons Brandon, 29, and Dylan, 27. The following morning, during a joint appearance on NBC’s Today show and posted to their official Instagram, the co-stars playfully pretended to be caught making out, a moment that only fueled chatter about whether the romance was real or part of a promotional gag.
Anderson has hinted at the depth of the connection. In an Entertainment Weekly cover story earlier in July, she said:
I think I have a friend forever in Liam. We definitely have a connection that is very sincere, very loving. He’s a good guy.
Though skepticism continues to circulate online, the actors’ friends and colleagues remain firm in their insistence that the relationship is authentic. Both Neeson and Anderson are household names with decades-long careers and, as insiders point out, neither star needs a manufactured romance to stay relevant.
What seems certain, however, is that the pair is enjoying their time together off-screen, while audiences are embracing their chemistry on-screen. Not only that, but The Naked Gun was been praised by critics since its release. Fans can still catch Anderson and Neeson’s budding romance on the big screen, as the film continues its theatrical run. Check your local listings for showtimes.
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