Patrick Swayze - the star of the films "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" - was the idol of millions of women who literally did not give him a pass at the height of his career. But the actor carried love and loyalty to his only chosen one - his wife Lisa Niemi throughout his life. They met in early youth and lived in a happy marriage for 34 years until Patrick's death.
Romantic story
The actor's own love story, perhaps, is in no way inferior in beauty and romance to those plots that he played so heartfelt in the cinema. It seemed that the dancing future was predetermined for Patrick from birth, because he was born into a large family of choreographer Patsy Swayze. In addition to ballet, as a child, the boy was engaged in figure skating, football, martial arts and acting. But the dance always remained especially close to him. And at 19, Patrick unexpectedly met a kindred spirit.
Lisa Niemi, who at that time was only 15 years old, studied at his mother's ballet school. However, Patsy asked her son to stay away from the young girl. She believed that Patrick could have a negative impact on her. However, the young man did not listen to his mother's advice, and he and Lisa began to meet. Swayze later admitted that the new girlfriend was very different from his previous girls. With her, he could not and did not want to wear the mask of a careless ladies' man, since such behavior only repulsed Lisa.
At first, the couple's dates even took place in silence. But then Patrick noticed that his sincere conversations about future plans and dreams find a constant response from the girl, and in their communication, finally, there has been progress. So the young beauty conquered Swayze not so much with her beauty and dancing plasticity, but with a mind rare for her age.
The lovers got married on June 12, 1975. The celebration turned out to be quiet and modest. Lisa made her own wedding dress, and the ceremony took place in the backyard of her home in Houston. The newlyweds organized a small reception for family and friends in the choreographic studio of Patrick's mother.
A partnership for life
Swayze and his wife remained inseparable until the actor's death. They had common hobbies and interests: dancing, piloting, love of animals. Since 1985, the couple lived on their own ranch in New Mexico, where they raised livestock, expensive Arab horses, rodeo bulls, dogs and peacocks.
And immediately after the wedding, the newlyweds moved to New York to develop their dance career. In the late 70s, Patrick had to retire from professional ballet due to an old injury sustained while playing football. Shortly before that, he began to take acting lessons, and then, together with his wife, moved to Los Angeles, where he began to conquer the world of cinema. In 1987, Swayze woke up famous after the loud and rather unexpected success of the romantic drama Dirty Dancing. Moreover, he not only played the main role in the film, but also acted as the author and performer of the amazing ballad She’s Like The Wind, which was included in the film's soundtrack. The song became a real hit in 1987 and remains Patrick's most famous musical composition to this day. His beloved wife Lisa inspired him to create a masterpiece. By the way, she also acted as a partner of the actor during his rehearsals of dance numbers for "Dirty Dancing".
Swayze did not miss the opportunity to work with his wife on the set. The two appeared together in the sci-fi action movie Steel Dawn (1987) and in their own project The Last Dance (2003), in which Niemi played the lead role, director, producer and scriptwriter. And many viewers will forever remember their sensual and beautiful dance performed at the 1994 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo.
Life dramas
Patrick and Lisa's strong marriage was not without dramatic moments. Unfortunately, the couple were never able to have children. The actor admitted that his wife experienced several miscarriages, after which the couple closed the topic of parenting for themselves forever, switching to their cozy world together and their favorite work.
In addition, Swayze suffered from alcohol addiction throughout his life. In the early 90s, in the wake of resounding success, his problem became threatening, because of which the actor was forced to temporarily leave the cinema. After a course of treatment, he hid from the outside world at his ranch in New Mexico. Of course, on this difficult path he was always supported by his beloved wife.
The last and fatal test for the couple was the struggle for Patrick's life after being diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Contrary to the disappointing forecasts of doctors, the actor bravely fought the disease for 20 months. All this time, he and his wife were writing a book about the life of Swayze with a fatal illness. Sometimes the faithful wife, sitting at the controls of the plane, personally delivered the husband to the hospital for chemotherapy. And of course, she remained his main inspiration in the struggle for life.
Unfortunately, the joint memoirs of Lisa and Patrick were released after the death of the talented actor and singer. The book became a bestseller in the United States. Swayze passed away on September 14, 2009 at the age of 57. Shortly before his death, he transferred all his property to his wife. In 2012, Lisa released another book of memoirs called "Worth the Fight." She is also an ambassador for a pancreatic cancer charity.
Two years after Swayze's death, his widow met the jeweler Albert DePriscoe, whom mutual friends took with them to Niemi's birthday. On Christmas 2013, the new lover proposed to Lisa, and six months later they got married.
