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Lisa Niemi Biography | Niemi Swayze
Lisa Niemi born Elisabeth Anne Haapaniemi DePrisco is an American writer, director, actress, and dancer. She is also the widow of actor, singer, and dancer Patrick Swayze.
In 2019, Niemi made a documentary “I Am Patrick Swayze where she opens up about his life. Niemi and Swayze were married for 34 years from 1975 until his death in 2009. She was made an honorary citizen of the Canadian city while filming One Last Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Niemi became the Chief Ambassador of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network after her husband’s death. She was also made a Dame of The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
Niemi graduated from the Houston Ballet Dance Company in 1974. In 1977, she shortened her surname from Haapaniemi to Niemi for her theatre stage name.
Lisa Niemi Age
Elisabeth Anne Haapaniemi was born on 26 May 1956 in Houston, Texas, U.S. She is 63 years old as of 2019. She is also known as Niemi Swayze.
Lisa Niemi Family | Lisa Niemi Edmond Melvin Haapaniemi
Niemi was born the only daughter of six children born to Edmond Haapaniemi (1914–1984), then Director of Water Safety Services at the Red Cross, and registered nurse Karin Haapaniemi (1927–2018). She has said that her parent’s professions were her inspiration and encouragement.
Lisa Niemi Patrick Swayze
Niemi met Patrick Swayze in 1970 when he was 18 years old and she was 14 years old at that time. At that time, Niemi was taking dance lessons from Swayze’s mother. In a 2008 interview, Patrick said that Niemi was the inspiration for his hit song, “She’s Like the Wind” (1987).
The couple got married on 12 June 1975. They had separated in 2003 after Patrick developed a drinking problem, they eventually managed to overcome the difficult time and after Swayze was released from rehab, they reunited. They remained married until Swayze’s death from pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009.
The couple moved to New York City to pursue their dance careers shortly after they wed. They then relocated to Los Angeles, California in the late 1970s. The couple also ran a construction business and raised horses together.
The couple was married for 34 years until Swayze’s untimely death in 2009. Niemi and Swayze had no children. Niemi is also a licensed pilot and she flew Swayze to his cancer treatments prior to his death.
Lisa Niemi Albert Deprisco | Albert Deprisco Lisa Niemi | Lisa Niemi and Albert Deprisco
It was announced on December 28, 2013, that Niemi was engaged to Albert DePrisco, a jeweler. Patrick Swayze’s widow wed DePrisco in Palm Beach Florida. The couple met through mutual friends and dated for about a year and a half before he proposed on Christmas Eve.
They got married in an intimate ceremony at The Mar-a-Lago Club in front of more than 50 guests. Niemi wore a gown designed by Oscar de la Renta, which she bought at Casa de Novia in Houston. Albert wore an Ermenegildo Zegna dinner jacket with custom slacks.
Lisa Niemi Home
She began living on a 5-acre (20,000 m2) homestead near the Angeles National Forest, in 1985. She lived there along with a “menagerie of dogs, prized Arabian horses, and rodeo cattle.” Niemi also had a 20,000-acre (81 km2) ranch in New Mexico.
Lisa Niemi Career
She has co-starred in Steel Dawn (1987) with Swayze and co-starred in Beat Angel (2004). Lisa also appeared in Letters from a Killer, Next of Kin, Younger and Younger, Live! From Death Row, She’s Having a Baby and Slam Dance.
Lisa Niemi One Last Dance
She wrote, directed and starred in the 2003 film One Last Dance alongside Swayze. The American-Canadian romantic drama film was based on Without a Word, a successful play written 18 years before which had won six Drama Critics Awards. Niemi Swayze said, “It was basically based on our experiences as concert dancers in New York, and it affected people a lot.”
Lisa Niemi Documentary
I Am Patrick Swayze is a 2019 documentary made by Niemi. In the film, Niemi claims that Patrick’s mother Patsy physically abused him as a child. The documentary aired on the Paramount Network on August 18, 2019.
Lisa says that Patsy’s perfectionism and high-expectations often turned into physical abuse. In an interview, Niemi told Patrick’s story of the day the abuse finally ended. “Patrick privately recounted the story of his 18th birthday when Patsy was ‘laying into him’ before his father [Jesse] told his wife [Patsy] that he would divorce her if she touched their son again.” “She never hit him after that.”
In the film, Patrick’s brother Don Swayze says: “He always thought Mom was so strict and so hard on him. But the way I saw it she just used that to spur him on. He was everything to my mother.”
Lisa Niemi Net Worth
The director and producer have an estimated net worth of $40 million.
Lisa Niemi Books
Lisa released a memoir, The Time of My Life on 29 September 2009 which became a New York Times Best Seller. It had been co-written by Patrick Swayze and was finished just shortly before his death. She released her New York Times Best Selling memoir, “Worth Fighting For” on 2 January 2012.
Lisa Swayze Today
Swayze continues with her writing career as well as her film producing career.
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