Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson are 2025's newest 'it couple': Why fans are rooting for the co-stars and their 'budding' romance

Yahoo

3 days ago

Pamela Anderson and her "budding" romance with Liam Neeson have captured the public's attention. (Image via Getty Images/Yahoo Canada Illustration)
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson are, without a doubt, the most buzz-worthy couple of 2025. Fans spotted the pair's undeniable chemistry while promoting their new film The Naked Gun — there were flirtatious moments on the red carpet, alongside plenty of laughter, smitten smiles and seemingly intimate body-language.
The press tour for the reboot of the Leslie Nielson comedy has generated buzz — not for the film itself, but for letting spectators fall in love with the idea of 72-year-old Neeson and 58-year-old Anderson finding love.
According to People, the pair are enjoying the 'early stages' of a 'budding romance.'
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'It's clear they're smitten with each other,' an anonymous source told the magazine.
Social media has gone into a frenzy at the prospect of Anderson and Neeson being the real deal. (Images via Getty Images/X/Yahoo Canada Illustration)
Although the source said the relationship began after filming the movie, Neeson has been effusive of his feelings for Anderson.
'With Pamela, first off, I'm madly in love with her. She's just terrific to work with,' Neeson said in an October 2024 interview. 'I can't compliment her enough, I'll be honest with you. No huge ego. She just comes in to do the work. She's funny and so easy to work with."
Anderson reciprocated, calling the British actor a 'perfect gentleman.'
Plenty of press tours rely on the chemistry of stars to sell tickets. You don't have to think too far back to the likes of Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell seemingly leaning into rumours of an on-set affair while doing press for their 2023 film Anyone But You. And you can forget (or perhaps forgive) Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper for purposely leading audiences to believe they 'fell in love' through their film, A Star is Born (2018).
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So, what makes fan fascination with Neeson and Anderson any different? It turns out, plenty.
Neeson and Richardson (pictured in 2008) were married for 16 years prior to her death in 2009. Musician Tommy Lee and Anderson (pictured in 1996) made headlines for their sometimes tumultuous relationship. (Images via Getty Images)
Aside from being a revered and celebrated actor, Liam Neeson's personal heartbreak has endeared him to fans. In 2009, Neeson's wife, actress Natasha Richardson, died after sustaining a head injury while skiing. The couple had been married for 15 years and shared two sons who were in their early teens at the time of her death. Richardson was a beloved actress in her own right, and a member of the Redgrave acting dynasty. Her role in the '90s film, The Parent Trap, as Lindsay Lohan's lovable bridal designer mother Elizabeth James, cemented her as a sentimental touchstone for millennials who viewed her death as the loss of a pseudo-mother figure.
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Even though he previously denounced dating, the prospect of Neeson finding love again is heartwarming, but it's whom he's "smitten" with that fuels interest in his personal life.
Anderson's past contains its own heartache. She's been a misunderstood public figure and in many ways, a modern-day Marilyn Monroe.
Anderson's past contains its own heartache. She's been a misunderstood public figure and in many ways, a modern-day Marilyn Monroe. After experiencing sexual abuse during her childhood, she was catapulted to fame as a sex symbol. Her tumultuous romantic relationships made headlines, as did her private home video with ex-husband Tommy Lee which was stolen and sold without her consent. However, unlike Marilyn, the dismantling of a toxic Hollywood star-system has allowed the mother-of-two to rewrite the narrative assigned to her.
In 2023, Anderson debuted a new look that included minimal makeup and high-fashion designer clothes. (Photo by)
The former Baywatch star has shed all remnants of her former image, opting for a high-fashion, minimalist, fresh-faced aesthetic. Through her autobiography and documentary, the public has been able to see Anderson as a woman who has struggled with depression for "decades," a dedicated mother and artist who leads a "lonely" and "solitary" life. While there's shame in how she was treated by the media (and rightfully so) the public's embrace of the real Anderson includes rooting for her to find happiness, which might come in the form of a romance.
While there's shame in how she was treated by the media (and rightfully so) the public's embrace of the real Anderson includes rooting for her to find happiness, which might come in the form of a romance.
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And while we all know that romantic relationships aren't the be-all and end-all of life, it's touching to see people find love in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Prior to Neeson and Anderson, the internet rallied behind actors Meryl Streep, 75, and Martin Short, 76, who began a relationship while filming the TV show Only Murders In the Building. Streep had separated from her husband of 45 years, Don Gummer, while Short's wife of more than 30 years, Nancy Dolman, died from cancer in 2010.
Meryl Streep and Martin Short have become one of the internet's favourite couples. (Photo by JC Olivera/WireImage)
While the internet can be an ugly place, the support for Streep and Short, as well as Neeson and Anderson, is wholesome. If we were to speculate why, it could be that aside from being beloved celebrities, these couples are examples of people finding love later in life and shining a spotlight on a demographic of people often excluded from traditional dating narratives.
Many people are led to believe that women over 40 or post-menopause have somehow lost their appeal and are no longer desirable. It's not uncommon for men, particularly male celebrities, in their 50s, 60s or 70s to suddenly appear on a red carpet with a woman in her 20s or 30s on their arm. But having Streep and Short, Neeson and Anderson as examples of age-appropriate couples helps shift the discourse around what sex and romance can look like for people in their later years — even if its done unintentionally. They represent hope that no matter what twists, turns and heartbreaks you may suffer, good things can come to good people at any age. Love is still possible after loss and often when you least expect it.
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