Sean Connery’s son Jason said his dad was not a “monster” after his mom made tabloids believe otherwise. Although his ex-wife claimed he didn’t leave their son with an inheritance, Jason and Connery’s granddaughter, Saskia, continued to adore him, here’s why.
In October 2020, Connery passed away. It was a massive loss to the film and TV industry and an even bigger loss to his family, who still miss him dearly. Connery was 90 when he passed away in the Bahamas.
He was surrounded by his family as he passed in his sleep at his home. After his death, his family made it their mission to carry out his final wish regarding his ashes. His wife of 45 years, his only son, three stepchildren, and grandchildren survived him.
Connery’s cause of death was heart failure caused by pneumonia and old age. It was said that he an irregular heartbeat that caused poor blood flow. Before he passed, he made it known to his family that he wanted his ashes scattered in his home country of Scotland, which they were.
While his wife and children did all they could to keep him happy in his final days and respect his dying wishes, Connery did not always live such a happy life with supportive family.
Connery’s Marriage to His First Wife Was Filled with Controversies
Jason is Sean’s son with first-wife and Australian actress Diane Cilento. The “Hunt for Red October” actor and Cilento tied the knot in 1962 but ended their marriage ten years later, with Cilento coming out with many allegations against Sean.
Cilento, like her husband, was an acclaimed stage and screen performer. With a husky voice and a perfectly carved body, the blond beauty was famous for being a sex symbol in the 1950s and ’60s.
With her sultry displays that steamed up British movies and Hollywood films, she was as recognizable as her husband. She also got an Oscar nomination before Sean.
But, despite all she had accomplished as an actress, Cilento couldn’t prevent living in the James Bond actor’s shadow. However, in the 1970s, Cilento decided she needed people to describe her as an excellent young star and not James Bond’s bride.
The actress, who was done being James Bond’s wife, got the chance to reclaim her initial status when her already tumultuous marriage ended in the early ’70s. At the time of their split, Cilento said: “the whole damn Bond thing took over our lives.”
Cilento, who was frustrated throughout her marriage to Sean, voiced her struggles during the promotion of her memoir “My Nine Lives” in 2006.
According to her, people only wanted to know what being Mrs. James Bond is like. The actress said her life was more complicated than just being the wife of the Western macho idol. Cilento used her memoir to accuse Sean of both physical and mental abuse.
The movie icon’s ex-wife claimed he had beaten her, making her fall to the floor. But, Sean vehemently denied Cilento’s allegations against him.
However, Cilento wasn’t done with her claims. She made headlines again when she noted that Sean had removed their son Jason from his will. Consequently, Sean denied her statements and claimed his ex-wife knew nothing about his life because they had not seen each other for nearly 37 years.
During this marriage, Sean and Cilento welcomed Sean’s only child, Jason. The child was born a year after they married in 1962. Jason’s parents split by the time he had turned 10.
Sean’s Son Defended Him After He Was Called A “Monster”
The James Bond actor and his son notably had a lovely father-son bond when he was alive. One thing this father and son enjoyed doing when they weren’t acting or directing was playing golf.
Golf was a shared passion for Jason and Sean. The younger Connery once revealed that his father continued playing even in his 80s. He is also delighted to have had fantastic memories growing up with a dad and stepbrother that enjoyed golf.
Their love goes beyond just enjoying golf. Jason once defended his dad after tabloids continued describing the late actor as “some sort of monster or tyrant.” Jason opened up about how he was “sick” of reading articles that claimed his father would cut him off from his will after his mother’s allegations.
Sean’s Granddaughter Adores Her Late-Grandpa
Sean’s granddaughter, Saskia, is the daughter of Sean’s stepson, Stephane. Saskia is a fashion designer and has made a success of her career, but misses her grandfather terribly and often talks about what he meant to her.
She has shared many posts on Instagram about Sean. Shortly after he passed away, she took to Instagram to share a series of photos of her with her grandfather and a lengthy caption explaining what he meant to her and everyone he knew.
In August of 2022, she shared a photo of her kissing Sean on the cheek and wished him a happy birthday. She called him her “superstar.” Her most recent post was another series of photos and an accompanying caption saying that it was the second anniversary of his death.