Patrick Swayze's Wife to Discuss Her Loss on 'Oprah'

By PopEater Staff Posted Oct 27th 2009 05:10PM

Patrick Swayze's wife Lisa Niemi will give the first one-on-one interview since her husband's death on the Oprah Winfrey Show this Friday, PEOPLE reports.

Swayze passed away at age 57 this September after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Niemi, his wife of 34 years, will open up to Oprah about their life together, and what it was like to lose him. She will also discuss the book they co-wrote together, 'The Time of My Life.'

Niemi and Swayze met as teenagers at his mother's dance studio, and their marriage became one of the most enduring relationships in Hollywood.

Niemi also participated in a round-table discussion called "Grief, Healing and Resilience" at the Women's Conference in Long Beach, California on Tuesday.

Tags: lisa niemi, LisaNiemi, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey, Patrick Swayze, PatrickSwayze

Comments

(15)

Tuesday 27 October

By J9

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

JEESH! He isn't cold yet..... I guess she was offered a sum which enabled her to set aside all decency.

By brenieeb

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I don't think it has anything to do with money...she surely doesn't need it. I think it is about telling the world what a wonderful man she was married to. I think it is a way of honoring Patrick.

By DreamerGiggles

Wow you're a bitter one aren't you? In case you're unaware, not everyone grieves the same way. Just because her way isn't the same as yours does NOT mean she sold out.
Who the hell are you to decide how a woman married to a man for over 30 years should mourn? Hopefully you can get off your self rightious, high horse before you lose someone you love.

Wednesday 28 October

By Swayze Fan

Vote down Vote up Report this

Have you ever heard that sharing your grief can help you through it?????? and who better to share your grief with than family, friends AND FANS!!! get a grip J9 and worry about your own actions being judged.

Were it MY husband of these 25 years -- I would honor him AFTER I had grieved -- which would be for a period longer than a month. DANG you people think that real grief is echhh a coupla weeks or so.... WELL not where I live. Oprah could wait -- but the paycheck one gets from "current" news fades over time -- clearly she wishes to "cash in" while the iron is hot... It is the way of today's culture... but it is UGLY & INDECENT.

By Lucy

To each his/her own. She probably had a better husband & marriage then you.

By michelle

Whats the matter with you people.. Oprah DOES NOT pay people to be on her show. I bought Patrick and Lisa's book and cried like a baby. I've been married for 24 years and I can only hope that the love I feel for my husband is as strong as what they felt for each other.You could literly feel the love between the two of them whenever you saw them together or heard them speak of each other. Just because she's doing an interview doesn't mean she's not grieving. She'll grieve for the rest of her life. Nothing will change the love she feels for him. Give the woman a break, God knows she deserves it. Cancer is a brutal and terrible disease to live through, to watch someone you love go through. My thoughts and prayers are with her..

By Moving On

I never make comments, but I just had to in this case. For those of you who have never cared for a terminally ill spouse, I hope you never have to. My husband died three years ago after LIVING with terminal cancer for 2 1/2 years. Those years were filled with doctor visits, chemotherapy, radiation and lots of side affects. Its a terrible thing to witness. However, we considered ourselves lucky - because we knew he was dying, we were able to use our time together to talk, and plan and grieve together. By the end, both of us were relieved (yes, I said relieved) that the end was near. He wouldn't want to live like that and he didn't want his death to mess-up our two young children. By the time he died, I had already grieved for 2 1/2 years.

His hospice nurse told me that the way I handled his death would be the way my children would handle it. Needless to say, I chose to keep living (for my kids' sake). The grief I showed after his death might not have been what some people expected. However, I was able to stay strong for my kids because I didn't let the grief control every part of our lives.

Its hard to believe its been three years. I remember everything as if it were yesterday. My kids and I are doing great. Now we are able to talk about my husband several times a week and remember the fun times we had together (and not those terrible last few months).

As for Lisa being on the Oprah Winfrey Show, I totally support her. No one should judge her, especially those who have not been in her shoes. She has been through hell and should not have to explain her actions.

By bill

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

How much is she getting paid for this?

By Pamela

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I can't believe so many think she's doing this for money. If you knew anything about them, you would know that they own ranches and award-winning horses worth millions. If she does receive money from this (which I don't think she will), I'm sure she will donate it to the Pancreatic Research Foundation she recently set up in Patrick's memory.

I lost my dad two days before my senior year of college. I didn't want to go back because I didn't think I'd be able to concentrate. I had just lost one of my heroes. I knew in my heart that my dad wanted me to keep on living. I know that Patrick wants Lisa to do the same.

If this is part of her grieving process, it's something to be respected. Not everything in this world is about money.

Saturday 31 October

By dimples465

People today are all about money, and it';s such a disgrace, to think that Lisa is trying to make money on her husbands death is crazy, and even if she is, so what, she deserves to, he was and will always be the love of her life and she went through hell with him and back for the past 22months. They have a love that people can only imagine and wish to have. I have lost a loved one to cancer, and it was pancreatic caner, he was diagnosed in March of 2000 and he dies on July 4th, 2000, it was horrible to see him waste away to nothing,to see his hair fall out, vomit and be so tired and drained and angry all at the same time, we were friends since I was 11 and he was 14, then we became boyfriend and girlfriend in High School, then broke up but,remained the best of friends and I was with him everyday when he was sick, I went to chemo and radiation with him and we couldn't even make it out of the parking lot without him vomiting. It's a horrible horrible thing for anyone to have to go through, so give Lisa a break, she lost her husband of 34 years. I pray that u people never have to go through anything like this, he was only 33 when he died. RIP Patrick Swayze...

Monday 02 November

By j41

I think the whole thing is weird. First of all I don't get why people who didn't know him would want to go to his makeshift funeral. I could understand if you lived close and went to his real memorial, but to make up a funeral I don't get that, especially in the rain, but whatever.
2nd of all his widow looked giddy, like she was celabrating his death. I am sorry but she has not crossed the bridge of true grief, she is still in some stage of it but she has not crossed. That is just what I think.

Tuesday 03 November

By j

I watched the interview and honestly, she didnt seem to upset for someone who just lost their husband of 34 years 6 weeks prior.

She evaded several questions and seemed to be a little too "giddy" for my taste.

Sunday 15 November

By Maria F.

I love Patrick Swayze. He's my favorite actor. I've watched all his movies. Well, I just wanted to share that I've also lost my husband of 9 years to pancreatic cancer as well. He was diagnosed in April, 2009 and left me on October, 2009. It is very hard for me to cope with my lost. I still cry for him and miss him dearly. Things are just not the same anymre..

Saturday 19 December

By kescha

I'll like to say to Lisa I hope that you're doing okay since the death of your husband. I loved the movies he played in exspecially Ghost that was a good movie, but anyway I shall have you in my prays and just keep your head up because he is in heaven looking down at you and he is every where making sure that you're okay. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND THE FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Page 1 of 1