NEED TO KNOW
- After a report claimed Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson’s romance was faked to promote The Naked Gun, sources tells PEOPLE “everything between them has been genuine”
- “Neither would ever take part in a publicity stunt,” says the source
- In July, an insider said the costars had a “budding romance in the early stages”
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson‘s romance is not a publicity stunt, sources tell PEOPLE after reports surfaced claiming otherwise.
“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,” a source close to the film tells PEOPLE.
Another insider says, “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.”
This comes after TMZ claimed in a report Friday, Aug. 29, that publicists for Anderson, 58, and Neeson, 73, manufactured the relationship for PR timed to the release of their comedy movie The Naked Gun.
One source laughs at an allegation from the report that the actors never had a one-on-one date, calling it “ridiculous.”
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A source close to The Naked Gun told PEOPLE on July 29 that Neeson and Anderson had “a budding romance in the early stages.”
Neeson plays L.A. police officer Frank Drebin Jr. in The Naked Gun, a revival of Leslie Nielsen’s late-’80s spoof comedies. In the movie, Anderson plays femme fatale Beth, who grows romantically entangled with Frank as he investigates her brother’s death.
“It’s sincere, and it’s clear they’re smitten with each other,” the source said at that time, noting that the pair were “enjoying each other’s company” as they promoted the film together.
At the New York premiere of The Naked Gun July 28, both stars brought their two sons to the red carpet for a group photo. (Anderson has Brandon, 29, and Dylan, 27, with ex-husband Tommy Lee, and Neeson has Micheál, 30, and Daniel, 28, with late wife Natasha Richardson.)
The next morning, on Tuesday, July 29, Anderson and Neeson pretended to get caught making out on live TV for a funny moment while visiting the Today show together.
For an Entertainment Weekly cover story published earlier in July, Anderson said, “I think I have a friend forever in Liam.” She added, “We definitely have a connection that is very sincere, very loving. He’s a good guy.”
