Hollywood loves a tragedy, but it rarely knows what to do with a long-term success story. If you’re looking for the woman standing next to the man who played James Bond, you’re looking for Keely Shaye Smith. She isn't just a "plus-one" at premieres. Honestly, she’s a powerhouse in her own right—a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and a fierce advocate for the planet.
They've been together for over thirty years. In celebrity time, that's basically several centuries.
Pierce Brosnan often calls her his "North Star." It’s a sweet sentiment, sure, but it carries weight because of the wreckage he was standing in when they first met. To understand who Keely is, you have to understand how she stepped into a life that was deeply shadowed by grief and helped turn the lights back on.
The beach party that changed everything
It was 1994. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Keely was there as a TV correspondent, specifically to interview Ted Danson. When that interview fell through, she ended up at a party where she crossed paths with Pierce.
At the time, Pierce was three years into widowhood. His first wife, Cassandra Harris, had passed away from ovarian cancer in 1991, leaving him a single father and, by his own admission, a broken man.
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Keely didn't see a movie star; she saw a man with a "mischievous sparkle" in his eyes. They sat under the stars on their first date, watching fireworks and listening to Kenny Loggins. It sounds like a scene from one of his movies, but for them, it was the start of a thirty-plus-year anchor.
Who is Keely Shaye Smith beyond the marriage?
Keely wasn't a stranger to the spotlight when they met. She was a journalist who had worked for Good Morning America and The Today Show.
- Journalism: She served as an environmental correspondent for ABC’s The Home Show, which bagged her two Genesis Awards.
- Filmmaking: More recently, she stepped into the director's chair. She directed Poisoning Paradise, a documentary about the environmental impact of experimental pesticides in Hawaii.
- Acting: She even had a stint in a Huey Lewis music video ("Stuck with You") back in the 80s and a role on General Hospital.
A marriage built in Ireland
They didn't rush to the altar. They dated for seven years, welcoming their first son, Dylan Thomas Brosnan, in 1997. They eventually planned a wedding for early 2001, but life—and a second pregnancy—intervened.
Their son Paris Beckett Brosnan arrived in February 2001, and the couple finally tied the knot in August of that year. It wasn't a quiet affair. They spent roughly $1.5 million on a ceremony at Ballintubber Abbey in Pierce's native Ireland.
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The reception at Ashford Castle featured a seven-tier cake and an ice sculpture of Rodin’s The Kiss. It was the kind of wedding people still talk about decades later, not because of the price tag, but because of the palpable relief felt by Pierce's older children, who were thrilled to see their father happy again.
Facing the "Body Shaming" trolls head-on
You can't talk about Keely Shaye Smith without mentioning the weird, toxic obsession the internet has with her appearance. Over the years, as her body changed—as bodies do over thirty years and two pregnancies—trolls have been remarkably cruel.
Pierce, however, has zero patience for it.
He once famously replied to a comment about her weight by saying he "strongly loves every curve" of her body. He’s gone on record saying she is the most beautiful woman in his eyes. Honestly, it's refreshing. In an industry that treats women like they have an expiration date, their relationship feels like a middle finger to the status quo.
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Keely herself has remained incredibly poised through it all, focusing on her philanthropy and her gardening—which she describes as her "meditation."
The 2026 update: Where are they now?
As of early 2026, the couple is still going strong, splitting their time between Malibu and their eco-friendly home in Kauai, Hawaii. Their sons are grown now. Dylan is a musician and model, and Paris is making waves in the art and fashion world.
Pierce is 72, and Keely is 62. They’ve survived the Hollywood machine by basically ignoring it. They aren't the couple you see chasing every red carpet. They’re the couple you see on a road trip to Santa Barbara, listening to the sound of each other's voices rather than the radio.
Key facts about their life together:
- Met: April 8, 1994, in Cabo San Lucas.
- Married: August 4, 2001, in County Mayo, Ireland.
- Children: Dylan (29) and Paris (24).
- Home base: Kauai, Hawaii, where they are heavily involved in local environmental protection.
If you want to follow Keely's work or see the frequent, genuinely moving tributes Pierce posts about her, their social media is the place to go. They use their platforms mostly to highlight environmental causes or share throwback photos from the 90s that remind everyone they’ve been each other’s "person" for a very long time.
Practical Takeaways:
- Check out the documentary Poisoning Paradise if you want to see Keely's investigative work.
- Look for her upcoming book on horticulture—she's been a gardening expert for decades and is finally putting that knowledge into print.
- Support environmental organizations they champion, like Oceana or the Natural Resources Defense Council.