EXCLUSIVE: Liam Neeson's Romance With Pamela Anderson is 'Full Steam Ahead' After Widower Gets Seal of Approval From Late Wife's Family

RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal Liam Neeson has described his new relationship with Pamela Anderson as a joyful surprise, telling pals: "It's full steam ahead, and I feel incredibly lucky."

The Taken star, 73, has found love again 16 years after the death of his wife, Natasha Richardson, and now his romance with Naked Gun co-star Anderson, 58, is said to have the blessing of those closest to his late spouse.

The pair's chemistry, both on and off screen, has drawn attention during their ongoing press tour for the reboot of the iconic comedy franchise.

The new couple appeared at last week's New York premiere flanked by their adult sons and have been increasingly inseparable in public, fueling talk their relationship has moved way beyond the early days of romance and is getting very serious.

The first public hint they were an item came via Instagram, when Neeson's 30-year-old son Daniel commented on a post by Anderson showing the pair backstage at Watch What Happens Live.

His celebratory string of emojis, including raised hands, hearts, and fire, did not go unnoticed.

Neeson's former sister-in-law, Joely Richardson, also shared her approval by posting seven red heart emojis beneath the same image.

"They're enjoying each other's company. It's a budding romance in the early stages," a source said. "It's sincere, and it's clear they're smitten with each other."

Anderson's 29-year-old son, Brandon Thomas Lee, also weighed in on their dynamic during a recent interview with Access Hollywood.

"It's fun to see them be, you know, good castmates and have a good time," he said. "I just think they're such great co-stars. I think chemistry is part of that, right? I think they have such great onscreen chemistry that it really, you know, means it's well done."

During Sunday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, the duo's easy rapport was on full display.

Host Andy Cohen joked about their shared lip balm and pointedly noted the growing fan base behind their bond.

Addressing Neeson's son in the audience, he said: "All of your dad's friends are very much stanning this relationship, as the kids say. Right, Danny?"

Cohen, 57, who was a close friend of Richardson, added during a SiriusXM broadcast: "I, and all of the friends in this circle, are very much stanning whatever this is. Liam, (Anderson) is an independent woman, just like Tash was. She loves to cook. She has her own thing going on. She has two boys. I mean, this just works, you know?"

He continued: "She is a formidable human being, Pamela Anderson. She really is. Like what she's been through and how she kind of reclaimed herself and redefined herself."

Richardson, who was married to Neeson for 15 years, died in 2009, aged 45, after a tragic skiing accident in Quebec. Since then, the actor has only been publicly linked to a brief relationship with British PR executive Freya St. Johnston, which ended in 2012.

Now, his romantic resurgence coincides with the box office release of Naked Gun, where Neeson plays bumbling detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. opposite Anderson's grieving sister Beth.

The film, directed by Akiva Schaffer, opened last Thursday and has earned $28.5million of its $42 million budget. With sons Michael Neeson, 30, and Dylan Lee, 27, also in attendance at the premiere, the pair appeared to be stepping into a new phase, both professionally and personally.

Our source said: "With the full blessing of Neeson's inner circle, the unexpected couple may just be Hollywood's most unlikely love story of the year."