Celebrity headlines

Patrick Swayze's widow tells of the actor's alcoholism

Katrina Vella
Friday, April 9, 2010
Click on the video to watch the first interview with Patrick Swayze's widow Lisa Niemi after her husband's death.
Katrina Vella
Patrick Swayze's widow, Lisa Niemi, has opened up in a heartfelt interview about how she is coping with the death her husband and the details of his drinking problem, saying he was a "different man" when he was drunk.

Swayze had a long battle with pancreatic cancer and died in September 2009, aged 57.

His 53-year-old widow, who was married to the Dirty Dancing and Point Break star for 34 years, says his alcoholism caused her to walk out on him in the middle of the night.

"For me the worst thing about him was the drinking," she told the UK's Times.

"He had a different personality when he drank that much. He was the nicest man on the planet unless he'd had a drink," she said.

"People or animals could have got hurt when he was like that. It's not good to be around anyone like that."

Lisa said Swayze was never physically violent towards her, but was violent towards her emotionally.

"It's not violence, it's not hitting, it's emotional unpredictability and also it's very, very painful to see someone you love destroy himself," she said.

"I told him, 'I have to leave. I can't sit here and watch you die.' I genuinely thought that he was getting to that point. I left in the middle of the night."

Lisa also opened up about the couple's last words to each other and says that despite his low moments, her husband kept up his can-do attitude throughout the demise of his illness.

"After almost two years the disease had started to win. He had an infection that was not clearing up, complications. I decided to take him home, within a week or two he had died," Lisa said.

"I wish I could say our last conversation had been profound. It was probably, 'What do you want for your birthday?'," she said.

"We told each other we loved each other over and over again. I never left the room without telling him. It still didn't feel like enough."

Patrick Swayze's book, The Time of My Life, which he co-wrote with his wife up until two months before he died, is about the couple's 34-year-marriage and their lives together.

Video: A tribute to Patrick Swayze


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Actually, I read his autobiography and in it he mentioned that he was an forrmer alcoholic. This is not new.
After reading the comments people have put on here, what a nasty judgemental lot of people. Liesa, Patricks wife is a lovely woman, who shared a very long marriage to a man she loved. She has just said the facts as she saw them, plain and simple. Why does everything these days have to be black & white, right or wrong. Sometimes it just is....it's called life. By saying that Patrick was an alcoholic does not make him any less, she is explaining her life, that it was like most people's, it had its ups and downs.
Hey get a life you people who are decrying Lisa for telling her story.If you want to believe the 'movie star' B.S. go ahead and keep paying the ticket fees,DVD costs and fantasy book tales about a man who was not a Saint.It's cool you enjoyed his acting BUT you did not know the real him and I think that is the problem with you all. You put him on a pedestal thats not real. OMG what sort of world do you live in çause it isn't the real world. He was an Alcoholic and if you have never been with one let me tell you it is horrible for everyone. She stayed with him and nursed him and she tells the truth I support her and wish her well.Her story could give strength to others who are going through the same thing. No veils of illusions here. Get off the moral high ground and show her the respect she deserves
I can see all responses so far have been against Lisa. Hello? Are you people dumb? I've seen what alcohol can do to families and it's better to let people know of this type of "silent killer" that is lurking in peoples homes. Yes, maybe she should have said something whilst he was alive, but you have to respect her timing also. It doesn't mean that she loves him any less for saying so. Why should she "pretend" that everything was "roses" when it really wasn't. GOOD ON YOU LISA FOR OPENING UP - All you Alcoholics out there, take note and stop destroying and hurting other peoples lives. Enough said.
I look at this differently. Patrick, I am sure would not want his fans to see him as anything but human, with human problems and faults....just like the rest of us. When faced with a terminal illness, facing the 'truth' about oneself is empowering. Knowing who you are, and, where you have been, can make the last months even more fulfilling. I am sure Patrick and Lisa had agreed on what was to be disclosed after his death. It is probably all in his autobiography anyway. True fans will admire his courage and leave it at that.
WHY? What was to be gained from telling that story...surely she wasn't that hard up for a few dollars from the mag...big Karma slap to her
This lady suffered as a result of her husband's alcoholism which, wrecked his health and led to his death. Unless you have been in that situation it is hard to understand that a person can be a Jekyll and Hyde character, lovable one minute, hateful the next. I don't think she should be ashamed of bringing this to light. It should serve as a warning.I have been in the same situation and it is an emotional roller coaster. I feel sympathy for this lady. Just because he could be a hateful person under the influence does not mean she did not love the man. We only see an actor playing a role in a film. That is not the real life person. His wife saw the real person,and we saw only whoever he happened to be portraying in his movies. Alcoholism is considered an illness, and there are many illnesses that can make a person behave in bad ways. I think this lady is very brave to speak out. She did not say he was a bad person, she said he acted in a bad way when he was drunk.
I have some concerns about the kind of idealism openly voiced in response to this article. I'm also confused as to why some people believe celebrity idealism should take precedence over honesty, regardless of whether the person is alive or dead. If you read the whole article it says that both Lisa and Patrick co-wrote a book together up until two months before he died. My problem with the responses to Patrick Swayze's wife's comments about his alcoholism are (a) maybe she is telling the truth, (b) maybe its a problem that Patrick discusses in the book himself and discussed with his wife before he died, and (c) maybe this article was written contrary to public perception to give people prior warning of what's in the book. He wasn't a perfect person (but then again, who is). That doesn't mean his wife loved him any less. And if i'm going to read about someone's life i'd rather receive an accurate account than an idealistic one. Otherwise, how can you learn anything. Cheers
I am horrified about all of your discusting comments about Patricks wife. Shame on all of YOU! You all seem to be a load of stone throwing, judgemental, back biters. His wife obviously had an intimate interview, where she was talking about her life with her husband. Grow up, and realise that we are all human, with our own share of faults.
It is so lame how women 'speak up' when their husbands die and say nasty things about them. It there were issues they should have been dealt with while he was alive, not when he's dead and can't defend himself. If he was so horrible she should have just left, there was enough money there to keep her in the lifestyle she was used to without her having to be married to him. Another woman joins the rank of bimbo.

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