President Trump pays tribute to Sean Connery as actor's widow reveals he had dementia: 'It was no life for him'
As tributes to Sean Connery continue to pour in following news of his death at age 90 on Oct. 31, his widow, Micheline Roquebrune, has revealed that the Scottish star suffered from dementia in his final years.
Roquebrune, who married the James Bond actor in 1975, told the Mail on Sunday that the condition, which impairs cognitive functioning, had taken “its toll” on Connery.
“It was no life for him,” she shared. “He was not able to express himself latterly.
“At least he died in his sleep and it was just so peaceful. I was with him all the time and he just slipped away. It was what he wanted.
“He had dementia and it took its toll on him. He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss.”
Roquebrune, 91, also shared an intimate photo of her and Connery celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary in May at their home in the Bahamas, where the Oscar winner died.
“He was gorgeous and we had a wonderful life together,” she said of the marriage, which was Connery’s second, following his split from the late Australian actress Diane Cilento.
“He was a model of a man,” she added. “It is going to be very hard without him, I know that. But it could not last for ever and he went peacefully.”
Roquebrune’s comments come after Connery’s son from his marriage to Cilento, actor Jason Connery, told the BBC that his father had been “unwell.”
"We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time,” the younger Connery shared upon news of his father’s death in his sleep while at home in Nassau. "A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor."
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has paid his respects to the Goldfinger and Untouchables star, hailing him as a “great actor and an even greater man.” He also credited Connery with helping him to get the green light for a development project in the actor’s native Scotland. (The Mirror refutes this claim, reporting that while Connery did indeed express support for Trump’s golf course project, his endorsement wasn’t responsible for getting it approved.)
....all I needed, everything went swimmingly from there. He was so highly regarded & respected in Scotland and beyond that years of future turmoil was avoided. Sean was a great actor and an even greater man. Sincere condolences to his family!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2020
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