Even though Pierce Brosnan has had a successful Hollywood career, his life has been dotted with immense personal tragedy. His wife Cassandra passed away from ovarian cancer and 22 years later, his daughter Charlotte succumbed to the same fate.

Brosnan married Australian actress Cassandra Harris in 1980 and adopted her two children, Charlotte and Christopher.

“We just clicked as a family,” he told The Mirror. “To begin with I was Pierce, then I was Daddy Pierce, and then I just became Dad. Charlotte and Chris have just been amazing in my life.”

Sadly, the Brosnans did not have that much time together as a family. A few years later, Cassandra was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and passed away in 1991.

Pierce held her hand and prayed while she slipped away, and was enveloped in grief. He told People in 1992 that “There is an incredible cruelty in it all. Losing a person you shared everything with.”

When his daughter Charlotte was diagnosed with the same disease decades later, he would once again have to face the overwhelming bereavement.

Charlotte was only 41 when she passed away in 2013. Brosnan spoke at a Stand Up to Cancer event the following year and expressed his anger and sadness in the twin tragedies.

“I held the generous, strong, beautiful hand of my first wife Cassie as ovarian cancer took her life much too soon,” he said, according to Good Housekeeping. “And just last year, I held the hand of my funny, wonderful daughter Charlotte before she too died from this wretched, inherited disease.”

Charlotte was only 41 when she passed away in 2013. Brosnan spoke at a Stand Up to Cancer event the following year and expressed his anger and sadness in the twin tragedies.

“I held the generous, strong, beautiful hand of my first wife Cassie as ovarian cancer took her life much too soon,” he said, according to Good Housekeeping. “And just last year, I held the hand of my funny, wonderful daughter Charlotte before she too died from this wretched, inherited disease.”

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