Who is Pam Shriver? Former tennis player discusses ex-husband and "James Bond" actor George Lazenby's dementia

Retired actor George Lazenby’s ex-wife Pam Shriver shared details about the James Bond actor’s dementia diagnosis. In an essay published in The Telegraph on July 5, 2025, Shriver wrote that Lazenby was in the early stage of dementia. According to her:

“George is 85 now, and he has dementia, but he is still very much himself. A softer version of himself, perhaps – and this is the key. Growing up in 1950s small-town Australia, he learnt to be independent, to be resourceful and to be witheringly direct.”

Born on July 4, 1962, Pam Shriver was the Wimbledon doubles champion five times. She is related to Maria Shriver. Shriver was 37 when she met the Australian actor at Wimbledon. They stayed together for 25 years and have three children.

The couple parted ways in 2008. Before George Lazenby, she was married to Joe Shapiro. In The Telegraph piece, she wrote:

“Now, as George enters the last phase of his life, I just want to extend this late period of reconciliation and renewal for as long as I can.”

Pam Shriver shared that at the end of 2023, she helped move George to a safe housing place for older people in Pacific Palisades. However, in January 2025, the wildfire came close to that area.

She wrote that the housing place didn’t arrange rides for the residents early enough. However, a helper who visits George every day was there and was able to take him out for a walk and help keep him safe.

George Lazenby is known for playing James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, released in 1969.

What is Pam Shriver and George Lazenby’s routine these days?

Pam Shriver shared that she and George Lazenby got used to a daily routine. When she is at home, she tries to spend at least an hour with him every day. They would watch his favorite sports together.

She mentioned that it didn’t bother him if the Tennis Channel kept showing the same matches because he didn’t remember the details. She wrote:

“We go for walks together, chatting about the kids and all the little anxieties which anyone with an older relative will recognise. His dementia affects his short-term memory but he tells stories about his younger days.”

Pam Shriver shared that her life with George Lazenby had been complicated, and she admitted that maybe she was too quick to get into the relationship. She felt that if she had been older back then, she might have seen some problems earlier.

She realized that it was hard for people to change how they grew up. Even though George was getting older and slowing down, she wrote that he still had energy. He often asked her if he could have a car again, as he had loved cars since he was a young boy driving his uncle’s old Plymouth.

Pam Shriver would give him ambiguous responses. George Lazenby would then look at her with a stubborn smile and proudly say he could still drive better than anyone else.

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