EXCLUSIVE: 'James Bond' Legend, 85, Doomed and Crippled — After Ex-Wife Gets Brutally Honest About Their Relationship
George Lazenby once played the iconic role of James Bond before turning down millions to continue playing the role.
July 29 2025, Published 10:30 a.m. ET
George Lazenby has told pals: "I may be slowing down, but I’m still here."
But RadarOnline.com can reveal the 85-year-old’s famous former wife, Pam Shriver, 62, has shared how he's struggling to live with dementia in Los Angeles.
Legendary Australian actor Lazenby, best known for his one-time role as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, has been diagnosed with dementia.
His ex-wife, former US tennis star Shriver, has now written a moving first-person piece detailing their renewed bond as she visits him daily in his assisted-living facility.
'We See Each Other Every Day'
George Lazenby played James Bond in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service.'
Born in Goulburn, New South Wales, Lazenby was 29 when he was cast as 007 after Sean Connery left the franchise. He starred in just one film before turning down an estimated $2million to continue in the role.
Before acting, he worked as a car salesman, mechanic, and model. He retired in 2024 and now lives in a Los Angeles care home where Shriver, 62, who married him in 2002, had three children, then divorced in 2011, visits almost every day.
"Ours has been a turbulent relationship: sometimes tender, sometimes toxic," Shriver said. "There were times, after our divorce, when we could not bear speaking to each other. But in George's later years, everything has come full circle. We see each other every day… we say 'I love you' every time we hang up the phone and look forward to the time we spend together."
'He Has Dementia'
Pam Shriver married Lazenby in 2002 and divorced him in 2011 after having three children.
Shriver added: "George is 85 now, and he has dementia, but he is still very much himself. A softer version of himself, perhaps – and this is the key.
"Growing up in 1950s small-town Australia, he learned to be independent, to be resourceful and to be witheringly direct.
"He was never encouraged to speak about his emotions or to seek help. Only recently, as he has been forced to accept the limitations of age, has he truly mellowed."
Lazenby's dementia affects his short‑term memory, but he regularly recalls his youth, including how he emigrated to London in 1964 with only a few dollars, or courted a girl in Canberra, showing a glimpse of the vibrant man he was.
Lazenby was 29 when he took on the iconic 007 role.
Shriver revealed she holds power of attorney over Lazenby and that they relocated him to Pacific Palisades assisted living in late 2023. When the LA wildfires threatened the area in January, Shriver described how it impacted him, saying "we had to evacuate him swiftly – it was a terrifying day, but he was safe thanks to his caregiver."
Their family includes three children together – George Junior, 21; Kaitlin, 19; and Samuel, 19 – as well as Lazenby's earlier kids from previous relationships.
Shriver added: "If I have a lesson here, it is that relationships can recover. We might never have stayed in touch but for the three children that we share. Now, 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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Lazenby ex-wife Shriver visits him regularly as he battles dementia.
According to sources close to the family, Shriver and Lazenby's renewed closeness has been therapeutic for both. One friend said: "He loved cars and adventure his whole life, and now he loves the calm routine – and he's content."
From rugged beginnings in rural Australia – his father was reportedly an alcoholic, and Lazenby left school with no graduation certificate – to international stardom and then a private life in LA, Lazenby's journey has come full circle.
His story encompasses classic Bond bravado, unconventional life choices – such as leaving the franchise at its peak – and, now, a quiet dignity in facing dementia.
