Liam Neeson’s interview with the Irish Independent went viral earlier this week because he claimed that yes, he was dating someone “but I’d embarrass her if I said her name, she’s incredibly famous. I’ll have to do my best for her.” That blind item set off some wild speculation, and if you don’t understand by now that half of the speculation was done in a joking manner, well… that’s your problem. Did you honestly think I believed Liam would date Selena Gomez or Pippa Middleton? REALLY?
When Jezebel linked to our post, they suggested Kristen Stewart. Once again, they were joking. They based their theory on “almost nothing,” just the presence of Liam and K-Stew in the same city around the same time. But Liam’s rep went to Gossip Cop to deny the K-Stew rumor specifically and calling the rumor “stupid.” And now a “source” is telling Us Weekly that Liam was just joking about the mystery girlfriend thing.
Just messing with you! Liam Neeson said in a recent interview with the Irish Independent that he was dating an “incredibly famous” woman, leaving fans to speculate who the bold-faced lady may be. But it turns out the Irish actor wasn’t exactly serious. An insider tells Us Weekly exclusively that the Taken 3 star, 63, “was just joking.”
The quote that launched a thousand (or more) Google searches? “I’d embarrass her if I said her name. She’s incredibly famous. I’ll have to do my best for her,” Neeson answered when asked about his Valentine’s Day plans and whether he had a special someone.
When I covered the interview, I wondered if people would speculate that Liam was just joking. The context was not joking though, or maybe I misread it. The context was… Liam was asked if he had a girlfriend and he said yes and that he wouldn’t reveal who it was. Straight-forward, not joking. And since his rep came forward to specifically deny the K-Stew rumor but didn’t wholly deny Liam’s quote, I still think something is there.
Some of the other candidates going around: Uma Thurman, Diane Lane, Madonna, Charlize Theron and Nigella Lawson. In addition to Selena Gomez, of course. I’ve still got my fingers crossed for Pippa Middleton though.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Well, if he’s looking I got hot sauce in my bag, swag. Look out Red Lobster, me and Liam are coming in for Valentine’s Day. We want your best table.
This¡¡¡ made my day 😉
i just spit my tea onto my computer screen laughing at this,haaaaaaaha
It’s kinda funny that his rep specificly denied the KStew rumour but not any of the other ladies!
Madonna? Charlize Theron? I doubt he would put up with their egos for more than about five minutes. I just hope whoever he is dating is lovely and sweet and good to him. He always comes across as such a good guy. And after losing his wife way too soon I hope he finds that kind of happiness again.
But not with Madonna or Theron!
Diane Lane please. Please.
YES!!!!
That was the best guess I saw. Yet their upcoming movie has not been filmed yet, no? Maybe they already knew each other?
She deserves someone good. Please let this happen.
I too thought he was joking by using ‘incredibly famous’, as if he was mocking or parodying the Hollywood tabloid narrative.
Anyway, Helena Bonham Carter?
Don’t tell me it’s Caitlyn Jenner.
I thought he was just joking at the time. Would he seriously say “she’s incredibly famous?”
All I know is this whole thing is coming off rather famewhore-ish and attention seeking on his part, which is never a good look and if I was the one he was dating I’d be questioning and side eyeing this behavior.
I don’t think so. That is so not his style.
He did the interview with a publication in Ireland by telephone. I read the full interview. The interviewer said Liam was in a good mood and would just laugh and tell him to f-k off at times if he didn’t like the questions, which made the interviewer relaxed and felt like he could ask him things.
He said how unusual it was for a big star to make the call himself for the interview, not have a publicist on the phone listening in ready to jump in if the questioning went too far or making the call and putting the star on and monitoring. It just sounds like he joked a little bit about it to a fellow Irishman in a publication that he didn’t even think about spreading over here in such a big way.
That’s the part from the interview:
‘Over the last few years Neeson has transformed into one of the most kickass action men in movie history but before that he was more renowned as a romantic lead. So, with Valentine’s Day coming up, I wonder what Liam’s plans are.
“I’ll send out a few bunches of flowers to various people and I usually just say ‘from an Irish admirer’.” Is he involved with anyone? “Yes, but I’d embarrass her if I said her name, she’s incredibly famous. I’ll have to do my best for her. It’s amazing how far a simple bunch of freshly picked flowers will go in a lady’s life, I find.”‘
It doesn’t sound like a joke to me…he’s experienced enough to know that this would be printed, and talked about.
I thought he was joking, too. It’s such an obviously over the top statement. Some journalists are really bad at reading tone, especially it seems when it’s a non-American. Or they deliberately print words verbatim without context because they know the ‘story’ will get more attention that way.
I think he’s still with Freya mainly, and maybe others casually, and he just deflected the question by joking about can’t name her because she’s incredibly famous. The “incredibly” part was just too over the top coming from Liam.
He starts filming with Diane Lane in March. I could still see a major spark happening between those two.
So could I. Random here, but Diane’s mother passed last fall. She was from Georgia, and was quite a vixen looking model in the 1950s.
He also mentioned something about simple flowers being enough to make her happy. I think there is something to it.
He could do so much better than Pippa.
I can’t stand all the attention this has generated, so I’m just going to have to come out and admit it. It’s me…Liam is dating me. He didn’t want to mention my name because it would sound odd for him to say he got Lucky, lol! 😃🍀
I totally buy that he was joking. He seems like a pretty private person who’s not caught up in fame and “celebrity” and has no interest in being gossip fodder. I don’t think he’d honestly care about his partner’s fame level or use it to put his personal life out there in the tabloids.
I really want him to be dating Nigella, Charlize, Diane Lane, or Anjelica Huston as someone on Jezebel suggested. It was kind of hilarious that the Jez article, which was clearly satirical in both tone and choice as they were joking about him dating a girl young enough to be his granddaughter and who is more known for dating a woman, got picked up by The Mirror or something like that as it shows the low standards of places like that and the Sun.
However, it could totally be a joke on his part and the specific denial could be less because there is a real person like Nigella and more because Jez’s joke got picked up as real by a few places.
It was an odd comment for him to make. He always keeps his private life private.
then it makes sense. he either does not want to talk about his love life and made that joke or he didnt want headlines “Liam Neeson all alone on Valentines Day”
Nigella and Liam would make a wonderful couple, I can totally see them together.
The worst bit about this was that people were suggesting women in their early twenties for man in his SIXTIES like it was totally normal. He’s been married with kids (who are totally grown up) and is now a widow. Bleurgh. The world sucks
It is not very unheard of in Hollywood though.
Liam has a different sense of humor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqA577_IoBk
Kaiser – I love you, LOL. We need to be best friends.
He was just joking; he’s still very much with Freya St.Johnston. They own a house together in London and are rock solid- next time there’s a HD pic, zoom in on his wedding ring finger and you’ll see an F tattoo that he recently got done. The like to keep things private but trust me, those that know of him/her family view them as a married couple.
Do we know that it’s famous as in acting though? Could she be a musician or reporter or politician or something? Though I love the idea of Diane Lane and him!
Maybe he is replacing Pacey! I guess Diane Kruger.