I didn’t realize Pierce Brosnan was married prior to his current wife of 11 years, Keely Shaye Smith. He was and it’s a sad story: Pierce was widowed at just 38 when his then-wife of over a decade, Australian actress Cassandra Harris, died from ovarian cancer at 43. Pierce faced heartache last week when his daughter with Cassandra, Charlotte, 41, also died of ovarian cancer, the same disease that took her mother and grandmother. (Pierce adopted Charlotte and her brother Chris, 40, after he married their mother. They also had son Sean, 29, together.) Here’s more about this sad story, including Pierce’s very touching statement about his daughter:
After a three-year battle with ovarian cancer, Pierce Brosnan’s daughter Charlotte has died, PEOPLE has learned.
“On June 28 at 2 p.m. my darling daughter Charlotte Emily passed on to eternal life, having succumbed to ovarian cancer,” Brosnan, 60, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She was surrounded by her husband Alex, children Isabella and Lucas and brothers Christopher and Sean.”
“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,” the actor continues. “We thank everyone for their heartfelt condolences.”
Charlotte, who was 41, passed away in London. She leaves behind husband Alex Smith, their daughter, 14, and son, 8.
Charlotte’s mother, Cassandra Harris, also died of ovarian cancer. She passed away in 1991 while married to Pierce, after losing her own mother to the same disease as a teenager.
The Mirror has a nice slideshow of photos of Pierce with Charlotte and his families throughout the years, and they also have some quotes from him on the loss of his first wife. He said “Such things draw a mark across your heart and it’s always a part of your life.
“To watch someone you love have their life eaten away – bit by bit, by this insidious and horrid disease – becomes an indelible part of your psyche.”
This is a sad, touching story abut a woman who passed way before her time. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.
Photo credit: WENN.com
How sad
I wonder if she had her ovaries removed or not? Some commenters on PEOPLE say she did but its not mentioned on that website or anywhere else.
But yikes…I hope the daughter gets her ovaries removed around 30 and after kids because we don’t know all the genetic markers for cancers so even if she did have BRCA or the other one, it could still be genetic.
If I were her child, I would strongly consider it. When the great grandmother, grandmother and mother all die of the same cancer, I’d have my kids and then get the surgery.
Melissa Etheridge can say it’s a decision of fear all she wants, but better to make that call and live, then be “courageous” and die from the same disease that has killed 3 generations of women in the same family.
So sorry for the family.
Amen.
Although it doesn’t seem to be the most popular opinion on the interwebs (how many criticised AJ for being proactive and reducing her risk) for me pragmatism trumps “courage” every time. Will any of these people who say “you should wait and see” be there to tend you at the end? The hell they will!
It’s a horrible crapshoot no matter what, but cancer is highly inconvenient at best and deadly at worst.
I’m just waiting for Melissa Etheridge to say this poor woman would have survived if she’d just eaten differently and decreased her stress. With all the bs celebrities have been pulling lately, I feel like it’s just a matter of time.
I don’t even get the “decision based on fear” thing at all. Can anyone explain this to me? Especially when you have children, you make your choices based on what is best for them. And living as long as possible seems like a no-brainer.
I can’t agree with this enough!! I’ve always loved him, he’s always been classy and awesome. I feel so bad for her kids and husband.
Heartbreaking.
Truly heartbreaking. I have so much respect for him, he seems like such a good man.
The statement speaks volumes about their love for each other.
What a terrible fate. May they RIP.
I hate cancer!! My condolences to his family. Nobody should die this early, leaving behind children.What a sad tragedy, and Pierce’s statement was so lovely and touching.
I hate cancer with a passion, and I hope they can find some sort of cure soon.
RIP 🙁
Oh that is so sad. I lost my mother from that disease as well.
how awful, so very sad.
Very sad. Im a big fan of Pierce; my heart goes out to him.
I cannot imagine what it feels like to see TWO people you love die from the same kind of cancer. Just so awful. I feel so much for him and his family.
I feel so sad for her family and friends
He seems like such a nice man. How terrible to lose two people in your life this way.
how terribly sad.. to lose your wife and daughter. he’s always seemed like such a decent man — so rare.
His youngest son, Sean, was in that horrific car accident in 2000. Sean was 13yr old. The car he was in went over a 200ft cliff while he was a passenger with his cousin who was drunk driving. It was very touch and go for awhile there. Sean ended up being hospitalized for six months.
The tragedy this man has faced is mind numbing. RIP Charlotte.
This is my very ultimate nightmare.
I think I just got something in my eye…
This is horrible. Horrible for the women in that family who can’t seem to avoid that fate, horrible for him for losing another dearly loved person to that awful disease. All the best.
My condolences to Pierce and his family. I pray often for a cure or for proven ways to avoid this horrid disease. May she rest peacefully now.
I read this first thing this morning and my first thought was for Cassandra. He lost her before he became really famous and he really loved her. Such a shame to now lose her daughter. I do hope any other women or girls in the family get checked for this. So sad for Pierce and the partner and children she has left behind.
My condolences to Pierce and his family.
My heart breaks for their families. She has two young kids; I hope they monitor her daughter, because this is an evil disease and it doesn’t bode well that Charlotte, her mother, and her grandmother all died around the same age from the same disease. Pierce is a class act.
So very sad. My sympathies to her entire family.
I hope doctors are extremely proactive with her daughter, so she doesn’t have to go through this as well.
+1. I read this last night in DM and right away remember Cassandra. I still remember her because my mom is such a big fan of him after watching him as a guest star in Moonlighting and later in Remington Steele. You could say that I grew up watching him.
He’s always seems like a lovely man. No gossip or any negative story coming from him, I think.
It’s just heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to him, her family and friends.
That’s heartbreaking. To lose your wife and your daughter both at a young age (his late wife was also in her early 40’s when she passed)
Condolences to him and to the entire family.
He really has always seemed like a deeply decent person and family man. How tragic to lose a beloved wife and daughter to the same disease.
Tragic! So sad.
So sad..what a terrible disease, not only it took away his first wife but now their daughter too…that’s too sad, it’s making me cry.
My heart goes with her family and Pierce, be strong.
This sad news has totally changed the mood of my day. It’s such a tragedy when a father has to go thorough the same thing twice..and hopefully Charlotte is now at peace. My condolences to what seems an amazing and strong low profile family.
Tragic. I’m so, so sorry to hear this.
Me, too. It reminds me Nigella Lawson because she lost her mother, sister and first husband this way.
I remember reading about how wonderfully happy Pierce was with Cassandra & how saddened I was when she fought & lost her battle. Ironically I thought of her when I was diagnosed in 93 because my ex was the total opposite of how wonderful Pierce was. Thought of her in 97 when it was back, for 2 reasons. Had a new hubby that is as loving & loyal as Pierce was to her & wondering why no one would speak out about it at the time to raise more awareness so it could be caught earlier (other health issues helped catch it for me). It still saddens me that in the yr 2013 people still lose their battle. I am glad I’m a survivor but its still hard when so many in your family didn’t or are fighting now. I still think Pierce is one of the good guys out there, and saddened to hear his daughter passed away. They can send a man to the moon & hear/see a needle drop across the world via satellite but can’t cure or make cancer at least something less deadly.
I wish you good health and am happy you found a worthy partner.
I do, too. Inelegant phrasing, but it’s the truth.
Yes Peirce was married to Cassandra, a former james Bond girl. It’s for her that he did James Bond.
He always strikes me as a very loving family man who loves and his lopyal to his woman. He absolutely adored his first wife as he adored his second.
Anyway, RIP Charlotte.
I remember when his first wife died.
I was so pleased that Pierce found love again, but to have this happen to his daughter…..let’s hope the granddaughter escapes the same fate. Or they find a cure soon.
Really, really sad.
Bless this family. What heartbreak. Cassie died in 1991. Her children’s father died in 1986. Pierce parented all 3, solo.
My aunt was his neighbor, in Malibu, where Pierce is universally liked & admired as a good man.
Isabella should be gene-tested in her teens & take whatever steps necessary not to be the 4th generation to suffer this fate.
I read this last night and had tears in my eyes. So young and her poor children and husband.
&Green Eyes, your post was so moving. I’m so glad you beat it. I have seen people with a very distant spouse or parents whose children aren’t there for them emotionally and/or physically supporting them during their cancer diagnosis and determining treatment options and just the daily part of it, being there for them emotionally. I can’t imagine haviing that sadness on top of fighting cancer. I’m glad you found someone who is a true support system.
This is so sad. RIP.
This is awful. Surprised you didn’t know about his first wife – he was single for years and always talked about how his heart still belonged to her.
I’ve loved Mr. Brosnan since Remington Steele days, yeah, I’m old. His first wife Cassandra, was voted “most beautiful woman” by a bunch of photographers at the time. Gorgeous couple. He is by far the classiest man in Hollywood. I feel for him and his family, they have endured a lot of pain. With dignity and class.
That is just horrible news, my thoughts are with the whole family.
A friend of mine says parents shouldn’t outlive their children. I really like Pierce and this is so terrible sad for him and for the whole family, my thoughs are with them. RIP Charlotte.
Omg how sad. I have no words.
Wow. My condolences to him and his family.
I am so sad for him.. Losing her mom to the same thing. He has always been a hands on dad & very close to his kids. My deepest condolences to he and his family.
I’m surprised you didn’t know. Pierce Brosnan has talked about his first wife a lot and has done cancer awareness work in her memory.
He really seems like a lovely man.
That poor man has had so much death around him. Life has been very hard on him. I’ve always liked him, in part because I like his work, and partly because he appears to be such a nice person. Sending good vibes his way.
Have always loved Pierce, he seems like such a wonderful person. My heart goes out to him. How sad and tragic for the same disease to take his wife and daughter. There aren’t any words. R.I.P. 🙁
I agree with everything you said.
So sad. My heart goes out to Brosnan and his family. Tell me again why women don’t need female health screenings/services?
So sad. I remember when his first wife died. Her daughter looks just like she did.
Pierce Brosnan is a good guy.
So sad. It must be the worst nightmare come true to lose a child, no matter the age.
Somewhere Melissa Ethridge is throwing shade at her for dying I’m sure.
If she had gotten rid of the stress and acidity from her life….ME
RIP Charlotte
So sad. Peirce is one of the classiest actors around. RIP for a life taken way too soon.
Very sad. My heart goes out to this family.
This is really sad to have 3 generations die of the same disease around the same age. Someone mentioned that Charlotte did have her ovaries removed, if so that is sad because that means she still got the cancer. Or maybe she removed them too late? I don’t know nor understand how this stuff works but am curious to know. I hope her daughter gets hers removed. I would adopt if I knew this ran in my family and killed both my mother and grandmother. I wouldn’t want to pass a deadly gene onto my daughter.
This is heartbreaking. Pierce Brosnan is one of my favorite men in Hollywood because he seems like such a great family man, just like Hugh Jackman. He must be devastated to lose so many women in his family to this cancer. It terrifies me too because my aunt on my dad’s side died of ovarian cancer in her 50s. Although no one else in the family has died of the cancer, I am definitely bringing it up each year with my ob/gyn.
Oh my God. This is unbelievable. I hate cancer. I wish Pierce and his family the best.
RIP. So heartbreaking for this family.
this is so sad on so many levels
She was adopted by Pierce Brosnan when he married her mother. She was Cassandra’s biological daughter.
—–
Never mind. I see you edited your comment.
she was only adopted by pierce.
This is disheartening, I’ve just turned 25 and have to go in for testing this week because I am believed to have ovarian cancer.
She was so young!
Hang in there Risa, my healing thoughts are with you.
Good luck, Risa. I hope you get good news.
Risa- I really hope your tests come back negative. Ill be praying for you =)
Best of luck Risa!
Best of luck to you Risa! You’re in my thoughts & prayers.
I know that it’s almost an impossibility, but do try to remember that you’re two people with two different medical histories at two different stages of life. What happened to her doesn’t reflect upon, or predict your future.
I hope the tests come back negative, we’re thinking of you.
Awww weeping, this is soooo very sad for PB and his lovely family. Have always loved his talent and his love for his family.
What a man; among other wonderful traits, adopting even his first wife’s kids after their father passed. My condolences to the family. Stay strong.
Parents should never have to bury their children. I hate this for them. <3
How sad and awful.
I remember when Cassandra died. I was a huge Remington Steele fan and fell for Mr. Brosnan pretty hard. I did not realize Charlotte was not his biological daughter.
This breaks my heart. Bless all of them.
This is about as sad as you can get. Heartbreaking, for him to see his daughter die just as his wife did.
I remember Cassandra too, & the way Pierce talked about her. I thought “How incredible, to have a husband who feels that way about you.” He adored her.
I wish peace to this wonderful family.
I remember he was SO DEVASTATED when he lost his first wife. It was terrible, and he was single for a good long while before he met Keely. I was actually shocked that he got re-married.
My heart breaks for him and his family. How awful to lose a child, at any age.
Why do such terrible things have to happen to good people?
My heart goes out to Risa, Green eyes, and everybody else who is fighting this godawful disease.
May she rest in peace. My heart goes out to her family.
when are we going to beat this damn cancer thing
too many gone too soon
God bless this family. RIP.
Awful and sad.. and he managed to keep his daughter’s fight totally private. Famewhores like Brangelina, Garner, Holmes could take a page from his book.
This is so sad. And Pierce Brosnan’s always been such a good guy, unlike most Hollywood men. His wife and their daughter’s husband and children must be heartbroken too.
I got a knot in my throat after reading that she has a daughter, who in all likelihood might develop the disease as well.
Re: Angelina Jolie and her choice, Charlotte’s daughter should really consider ovarian removal after she grows up and is done having kids. Family history is against her.
Oh damn. A life ended much too soon. Hate cancer and its potential to decimate several generations of one family. RIP.
So sad-that particular cancer has genetic predisposition just like the BACR-1 and -2 genes Angelina Jolie brought to light. However, the discovery of the related genes was fairly recent; Charlotte may not have had the information to choose options as Angelina now has. So sad to lose a beloved wife and daughter. I feel for Pierce; he is really a wonderful. loving human being.,
More info:
So sad-ovarian cancer appears to have a genetic predisposition just like breast cancer-BUT-there is no test for a specific gene mutation for ovarian cancer alone available. For all I know, scientists may not have even mapped the gene yet.
Angelina Jolie brought to light a genetic test for a BRCA mutation (BRCA-1 or-2). Angelina’s gene mutation (BRCA-1, likely the same as her mother’s) causes a breast-ovarian cancer syndrome distinct from ovarian cancer alone. So, unlike Angelina, Charlotte did not have clear choice as to how to manage her potential for ovarian cancer before it took hold. In fact, routine screening of women for ovarian cancer is not recommended by any professional society.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovarian_cancer#Screening
One area of research that should be funded and explored immediately is the specific cause of ovarian cancer. Is it a gene mutation? That line of inquiry should go side by side with the search for a cure.
Thank you so much for this information.
Pierce is a class act. Others have mentioned similar recollections of how devoted he was to Cassie (her mother). He just seems to be a very solid, good man who has endured an enormous amount of suffering and loss. My sympathy to the entire family.
Agreed-I tend to get caught up in the science; still, my heart goes out to Charlotte’s family and friends.
Such an awful thing for the family~my condolences to the Brosnans. And people wonder why The Jolie got a pro-active mastectomy~
OMG that’s so sad. Mother and daughter going at such a similar age, much too young. Heart goes out to the Brosnans.
Not a fan of the actor Pierce, but he is a truly decent person. Between this tragedy, and what happened to those American firefighters, I’m really sad this week.
What a tragic story!
His heart must be breaking right now. Blessings to him and his family.
Sorry but some corrections are needed here. Charlotte was his adopted daughter, not his daughter with Cassandra. Charlotte and her brother were Cassandra’s kids from a previous marriage and when their dad died (also young), Pierce adopted them. Cassandra and Pierce then had a son together (their only child together). She is still his daughter, but she also had a natural dad before Pierce who died. What’s also really sad about this is that Cassandra’s mother died really young too. So that’s 3 generations of lovely women who died way too young. It seem like a bad gene.
Thanks for explaining that. I read it a few times and couldn’t make sense of it.
How heartbreaking for Pierce to have to deal with another tragedy.
Well, yeah, that’s the technical side of it but I doubt Pierce Brosnan gives a good goddamn right now about whether Charlotte was his biological daughter or not. You can see they had a great family life going. It must be so awful for him to be playing out that horror all over again. How heartbreaking for her kids and her partner. I wish them all peace.
And her mum Cassandra was also a Bond Girl for a previous incarnation of Bond.
You and your family are in my prays.
Tears in my eyes. Grew up loving Pierce he always seemed like a genuinely nice man in real life. To have yet another hole in their lives due to cancer… sigh.
RIP Charlotte