James Bond legend cared for by Wimbledon star as he battles dementia

Daily Record

3 days ago

Former James Bond actor George Lazenby is currently battling dementia and is being cared for by his ex-wife, tennis legend Pam Shriver
Five-time Wimbledon doubles champion Pam Shriver has revealed that she is caring for her ex-husband, James Bond star George Lazenby, as he battles dementia.
The pair were married from 2002 until 2011, though their relationship ended in a bitter divorce by Pam initiated in 2008. She admitted: "I won't pretend that it was anything less than horrific. We didn't speak for two years."
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Despite their difficult past, the couple - who share three children together - have since reconciled. Pam shared: "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."
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George, now 85, famously portrayed the iconic 007 agent in the 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He announced his retirement in July 2024 with an emotional statement, though he did not disclose his diagnosis at the time. "I want to concentrate on spending more time with my family," he said, adding: "My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me."
However, Pam revealed that George had been struggling with health issues for some time, the Express reports.
When his care home burned down in the Los Angeles wildfires and he "only made it out by a whisker" she says she "realised how much he still means to me".
She stepped in and arranged a new assisted-living facility for him in Santa Monica, and says the former couple have since settled into a comfortable routine.
"I try to spend at least an hour with George every day when I am at home. We watch his favourite sports, and it does not matter if the Tennis Channel shows the same matches all the time because he doesn't remember the details," she revealed.
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Speaking to The Telegraph, she continued: "We go for walks together, chatting about the kids and all the little anxieties which anyone with an older relative will recognise. His dementia affects his short-term memory but he tells stories about his younger days."
Pam said that George is "still very much himself," though now a gentler version.
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However, she admits they likely wouldn't have stayed in contact after their divorce if not for their three children - sons George and Sam, and daughter Kait.
Pam admitted that rebuilding their relationship has been a slow "brick by brick" process, which started with reconnecting at a Thanksgiving dinner in 2011.
With the help of mutual intermediaries, they agreed to sit down together for the holiday dinner which, to her surprise "turned out to be a lovely day." She says "they now look forward to spending time together and she says they are proof relationships can recover."