James Bond Actor's Ex-Wife Reveals Dementia Diagnosis
The actor best loved for having played James Bond in just one film, George Lazenby, has dementia. But, luckily, Lazenby has a reliable and surprising caretaker: his ex-wife Pam Shriver. In a touching editorial written by Shriver for The Telegraph, the former tennis star details how she has come full circle back to Lazenby and is watching over him as he "enters the last phase of his life."
"George is 85 now, and he has dementia, but he is still very much himself," Shriver reveals in her article. "As George enters the last phase of his life, I just want to extend this late period of reconciliation and renewal for as long as I can."
Shriver and Lazenby were married in 2002 when Shriver was 40 and Lazenby was 63. They had three children together but eventually divorced in 2011. However, as Shriver writes, they obviously stayed in touch because they shared a family. And, when the wildfires of January 2025 threatened Lazenby's home, Shriver realized it was time to change her life to be close to him again. "There was a moment, earlier this year when he was caught up in the Los Angeles wildfires and only made it out by a whisker," she writes. "That day, I realized how much he still means to me."
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For Bond fans, Lazenby is best remembered for the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In that film, Bond was married, only to tragically lose his bride to a gunshot from Blofeld at the end of the film. Some fans still consider that film to be a high point for the Bond franchise, a point of departure that allowed the franchise more experimentation over the years. In 2021, in a tweet, Lazenby said: "Daniel’s last Bond reminded me of mine.”
According to Shriver, the independent side of Lazenby is still alive and well, even if he does need help with day-to-day tasks.
"George is a resilient fellow," Shriver says. "He’s gotten through a few storms."
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is streaming on MGM+. Becoming Bond, a docudrama about Lazenby's path to 007, is streaming on Hulu.
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