Published article April 25, 2024
Patrick Swayze, the actor known for his role in “Dirty Dancing”, passed away in 2009 after being diagnosed with a form of cancer. Now, 15 years later, his widow Lisa Niemi Swayze has revealed how she felt when she found out her partner was seriously ill.
In an interview with People, in which she talked about her efforts to support the non-profit organization Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Lisa revealed how she felt when she learned that her husband, Patrick Swayze, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer .
Also read: A divorce that surprised everyone. What Will Happen to Jennifer Grey’s ‘Dirty Dancing’ Fortune
“It was the hardest night of my life,” said Lisa, who continued: “I remember Patrick saying to me, ‘I’m a dead man!’ I slept in the hospital then, next to his bed. I felt like a nail had been driven into my own coffin. Life changes in an instant and you can’t escape the reality of what that diagnosis means. It’s just terrible. It was a terrible moment”she also said, according to Fox News.
Lisa also stated that she was very happy that Patrick survived almost 22 months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
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In an interview on the “Amy and TJ Podcast,” Lisa also revealed how Patrick reacted when he found out he was sick, stating that he knew things weren’t going to end well for him. If she didn’t know anything about this disease, the “Dirty Dancing” actor knew some people who got the same diagnosis and died. That is why he said: “I am a dead man.”
Lisa emphasized, however, that from the moment she found out her husband was sick, she used all her energy to help him feel better, to help him survive.
In 1987, Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze were becoming international stars thanks to their roles in “Dirty Dancing”. The film tells the story of Frances “Baby” Houseman, played by Jennifer, a teenage girl who falls in love with Johnny Castle, a heartbreaking dance instructor played by Patrick. If they looked like they were made for each other on screen, on set, Jennifer and Patrick had a lot of work to do because, in reality, they didn’t have any chemistry specific to a couple.
Lisa Niemi was criticized when she remarried
Patrick Swayze’s widow, actress and dancer Lisa Niemi Swayze, 67, appeared on the April 8 episode of the “Amy and TJ” podcast, where she talked about her relationship with the late actor, who died in 2009, from the cause of pancreatic cancer, but also about how her life changed.
Lisa, who married for the second time in 2014, said that some of her fans criticized her for her decision to rebuild her life with Albert DePrisco.
Also read: A divorce that surprised everyone. What Will Happen to Jennifer Grey’s ‘Dirty Dancing’ Fortune
“I received a lot of criticism. Some of them were something like, “How dare you?” Some of Patrick’s fans thought I was evil, they just didn’t like me because I married him“, the actress said, according to the New York Post.
“There was a lot of criticism, a lot of bad words, but you just learn to live with it and move on. At one point I was tempted to answer them, to say: “Hey, put yourself in my shoes, tell me what it’s like. Go ahead. Tell me that just because I lost my husband doesn’t mean I don’t love him anymore“, she continued, adding: “How could you say such a thing? It’s ridiculous!”
Lisa met the ‘Dirty Dancing’ star when they were teenagers: “My first dance teacher was his mother, that’s how we met. He was my first dance partner. We just looked into each other’s eyes and…bang. Incredible magic happened. We were dance partners for 34 years“.
