London - Before his marriage to Natasha Richardson, many of Hollywood’s most beautiful and famous women could count Liam Neeson as their lover.
But since her tragic death in a skiing accident in 2009, the Irish actor has barely dated at all.
His one relationship — with London-based publicist Freya St Johnston — came to an end in 2012 as he was still grieving the loss of his beloved wife.
Indeed, only last year Liam Neeson told GQ magazine that he had given up both drinking — to improve his performance in action films — and women.
He said: “I’m keeping myself to myself and I like it that way. I’m not hunting. I’m the opposite of — what would a male cougar be? Is there such a thing? Whatever it is, I’m not that.”
Which makes his bombshell remarks about how he plans to mark Valentine’s Day this week all the more sensational.
He told an Irish newspaper that he is now romantically involved with a new woman, saying: “I’d embarrass her if I said her name, she’s incredibly famous.
“I’ll have to do my best for her. It’s amazing how far a simple bunch of picked flowers will go in a lady’s life, I find.”
So — assuming that Neeson, 63, is not joking — who on earth could this “incredibly famous” new woman be?
Neeson tends to meet future girlfriends on the sets of his movies — as he did with actress Helen Mirren, with whom he had a passionate romance from 1980 to 1985.
They had met on the set of the Arthurian film Excalibur and went on to live together. Dame Helen, who is now married to producer Taylor Hackford, later said, simply: “We loved each other. It was difficult to let go.”
Neeson, who lives in New York, also dated Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts from 1988 to 1990 after meeting on the set of the film Satisfaction.
She was only 19 to his 35 at the time, but promptly moved in with him to his house inCalifornia.
Other loves have included the actress and model Brooke Shields and the party-loving supermodel Janice Dickinson.
Neeson’s representatives declined to comment on his uncharacteristically indiscreet remarks yesterday — which means that the mystery continues.
Here, we examine the runners and riders in the great riddle of Liam’s “incredibly famous” new love...
Kristen Stewart, 25
At only 25 years old, she is young enough to be his granddaughter — and yet on Tuesday night the internet was buzzing with the theory that Stewart, the sulky, bisexual star of the Twilight movies, might just be the lady in question.
The website Jezebel was the first to raise the idea, and revealed that both Kristen and Liam were at the New York restaurant Tao on the same evening this year.
She is single, having split from her long-time girlfriend Alicia Cargile.
Before her there wasa lengthy and much scrutinised love affair with her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, which ended abruptly when she was caught canoodling with director Rupert Sanders.
She released a statement which ran: “I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me.
“This momentary indiscretion has jeopardised the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob.”
Is she the one? With a 38-year age gap that would make her a far better fit for one of his grown-up sons — Micheal, 20, or Daniel, 19 — it’s a rather hard proposition to swallow.
Odds:100-1
Susan Sarandon, 69
Her bra-and-jacket combination caused a sensation at the Screen Actors Guild awards last week and Susan — globally famous and single — does know Liam Neeson.
They starred together in a 2006 drama, Home. What’s more, like Neeson, she lives in upstate New York, in the Hudson Valley, where actress Claire Danes, pop star Bjork and singer Bette Midler also have homes.
She split from her much younger beau Jonathan Bricklin last year. “I have no idea how to meet anybody, really,” she admitted. “I’m just bopping around trying to figure it out.”
Is she the one? She ticks all the boxes and is only a few years older than Liam. The internet is brimming with assertions that it is her.
Odds:7-2
Uma Thurman, 45
Gorgeous film star Uma has long had a home near Neeson’s in upstate New York and the two are thought to have been friends foryears.
They co-starred in the 1998 film adaptation of Les Miserables. Uma has had a complicated romantic life, including a marriage and two children with actor Ethan Hawke, and an affair with financier Arki Busson, which resulted in baby Luna.
This was followed by her rekindling her romance with hotelier Andre Balazs in 2014 — they had previously dated from 2004-2007.
Is she the one? She is incredibly famous and may be single as she and Balazs have not been seen together since last summer.
Odds: 25-1
Halle Berry, 49
Oscar-winner Halle has had a car-crash love life, comprising three divorces. Her last significant other was French actor Olivier Martinez, whom she married in France in July2013.
Despite the birth of their son in October, they announced that they were divorcing last year.
She was previously married to sportsman David Justice and to singer-songwriter Eric Benet, from whom she split after two years. There was also a relationship with French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, by whom she had daughter Nahla in 2008. They split in 2010.
Is she the one? Her new movie, Kidnap, to be released this year, has been likened to a female version of Neeson’s Taken movies. Whether their similarities extend beyond the screen is another matter.
Odds:80-1
Charlize Theron, 40
Oscar-winner Charlize is single, having split from actor Sean Penn last year, and certainly knows Liam Neeson well — they starred together in A Million Ways To Die In The West in 2014.
Neeson played her bullying outlaw husband, Clinch Leatherwood, and in one scene she was required to whack a trouserless Neeson over thehead.
She giggled: “I said what any healthy woman would say. ‘I get to see Liam Neeson’s butt!’ That’s what happened. I can think of so many worse jobs!”
Is she the one? She’s single, and incredibly famous — but adopted a second baby only last August. Is Liam really ready to tackle nappies again?
Odds:10-1
Diane Lane, 51
Beautiful brunette Diane Lane was hailed as “the new Grace Kelly” by her co-star in A Little Romance, Sir Laurence Olivier, when she was only 13. But despite her talent and critical acclaim she has struggled to live up to that stellar start.
Last year she made the yet-to-be released film Felt with Neeson, about Mark Felt, the Deep Throat who blew the whistle on the Watergate scandal in 1972.
She is single, having been married twice — first to actor Christopher Lambert in 1988; then to actor Josh Brolin in 2004.
She called police after an altercation with Brolin in the year they married and he was arrested for “domestic battery”. The charges were dropped and the incident was blamed on a “misunderstanding”.
The couple divorced in 2013. She has previously dated rock singer Jon Bon Jovi and actor Emilio Estevez.
Is she the one? She’s single, they have worked together and she’s a New York native. But would anyone really call her “incredibly famous”?
Odds:3-1
Barbara Streisand, 73
Singer, songwriter, actress, director and globally renowned diva Barbra Streisand has fallen for Liam Neeson before. They dated in 1991 for nine months.
Meanwhile Streisand’s marriage to actor James Brolin (father of Josh, see above) has reportedly been in trouble for years, with tabloids asserting last year that they were set for a divorce battle. However she dismissed the stories, saying: “It’s absurd. We’ve been together for 18 years.”
Is she the one? She’s one of the most famous women in Hollywood - but it really would be a stunning turn of events.
Odds:250-1
Meg Ryan, 54
Another New York singleton who could be in the frame is actress Meg Ryan. After a four-year romance, she split from singer John Mellencamp last year — who promptly started dating supermodel Christie Brinkley. Meg was said to feel “humiliated” by the way he moved on.
Before that she was married to actor Dennis Quaid. They had a son, Jack, but split in 2001 when she was linked to Russell Crowe.
She lives in New York and has spent the past two years working on her directorial debut, Ithaca.
Is she the one? She is single, very famous, and her trademark mop of blonde curls may remind Neeson of his late wife.
Although whether she will prove the Sally to his Harry is anyone’s guess.
Odds:50-1
Daily Mail