Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze’s widow Lisa Niemi has recently reflected on their “unlikely” love story 13 years after actor’s death.
During her appearance on NBC’s Today on Friday, Niemi reveals she’s teamed up with Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to promote charity’s fundraising event in New York to raise money for patients suffering from pancreatic cancer.
It is pertinent to mention that the Niemi’s husband as well as late actor died at the age of 57 in 2009 due to stage four pancreatic cancer.
Remembering her initial relationship with Swayze prior to their marriage in 1975, Niemi said, “We had such an unlikely start because we were both very cautious because he had this reputation of being a casanova, and they thought I was this quiet bad girl.”
She continued, “Our first contact was he reached over and pinched me on the butt and said, ‘Hey cutie’.”
“And I’m like, ‘Oh brother’, but needless to say, we went out with each other anyway, despite each other’s reputations, and grew to know each other,” explained Niemi.
While speaking about her relationship dynamic with late actor, Niemi disclosed, “We kind of understood that about each other, and we ended up falling in love.”
Gushing over Swayze’s acting, Niemi also added, “The man could do anything, he was so talented – jumping out of planes, riding horses, piloting an aircraft – and, of course, his acting.”