Pamela Anderson Liam Neeson romance questioned as PR stunt

A swirl of conflicting reports over the past week has cast doubt on whether the widely reported romance between Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson, playfully displayed during promotion for the new Naked Gun reboot, was real or a calculated publicity effort. TMZ published a report saying the affectionate moments were orchestrated by the actors' PR teams and Paramount as part of the film's press tour, while People and several insiders have insisted the connection is genuine. Anderson on Friday publicly pushed back on the stunt allegations while accepting an award in Deauville, France.

The question of authenticity follows a high-profile publicity push for the legacy comedy, which culminated in a July 28 New York premiere where the stars posed with their children, and a joint appearance on NBC's Today show in which they shared a staged-seeming kiss that added fuel to romance rumors. The timing has been central to the dispute. TMZ reported that Neeson and Anderson saw little of one another between the end of filming in June 2024 and the start of the press tour a year later, and alleged the two never went on a one-on-one date, characterizing the pairing as a manufactured press strategy.