Jaclyn Smith’s 4 Marriages: A Look at the “Charlie's Angels” Star’s Relationships
After her divorce from Tony Richmond in 1989, Jaclyn Smith married surgeon Brad Allen in 1997
Jaclyn Smith may be one of the most famous TV actors of the 1970s, but she definitely hasn’t slowed down — in fact, she’s still posting workout videos with her husband, Brad Allen.
Smith starred as Kelly Garrett on the TV series Charlie's Angels from 1976 to 1981. She was the only Angel featured in all five seasons of the show, which also starred Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd.
"It was groundbreaking. It was about three emotionally and financially independent women. We shot at beautiful locations with fancy fast cars, and they cared about each other, so there was a heart to the show," Smith told PEOPLE in 2016. “The friendship — that’s what makes it lasting.”
Smith’s significant relationships haven’t just been with her fellow leading ladies. She’s been married four times to Roger Davis, Dennis Cole, Tony Richmond and Brad Allen, the latter whom the actor has been married to since 1997. Smith has two children and three granddaughters: Bea, Olivia Rose and Wren Jaclyn. “I don’t want to be away from her ever,” Smith said after Bea was born.
Here’s what to know about Jaclyn Smith’s dating history.
Roger Davis
Smith married fellow actor Roger Davis in 1968. Davis appeared on shows like Dark Shadows and Alias Smith and Jones before starting a career as a real estate developer.
In the early ‘60s, Smith moved to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet. She was also working as a model when she met Davis, who proposed to Smith after only two dates.
“I was such an innocent,” she told PEOPLE in 1978. “I was too much living for him, and I lost sight of myself.”
The couple saw two marriage counselors to no avail. Smith recalled, “I wanted them to say, ‘Go ahead and leave him,’ but all they would say was, ‘Why do you stay?’ ” Smith and Davis divorced in 1975.
Dennis Cole
When Smith met actor Dennis Cole, he had already had a starring turn on ABC’s ‘60s crime drama The Felony Squad — but it was a guest spot on an episode of Charlie’s Angels that led him to his future wife.
Smith later told PEOPLE she was impressed by Cole’s romantic gestures. Before beginning production on The Users, “I had butterflies in my stomach, and Dennis wrote a poem for me that was so spiritual,” she said. “I felt like Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The way to my heart is flowers and poetry.”
After 19 months of dating, Smith and Cole married in November 1978 in an as-secret-as-possible ceremony in N.Y.C. There were only 25 guests, invited by telephone, and the couple made decoy reservations at hotels across the city. Their reception had been booked under fake names at Central Park’s Tavern on the Green.
“Everything about the wedding was old-fashioned because she is,” matron of honor Jill Krask told PEOPLE. “Something old was an antique cross Jackie wore around her neck, something new was her dress, something borrowed was a pair of stockings from me and something blue was her eyeshadow.”
“Without Dennis, my life would not have been complete,” Smith told PEOPLE after the wedding. “And now it is.”
The couple were married for two and a half years, but their union wasn’t peaceful. In October 1981, after they separated, she told PEOPLE that competition between the two actors had contributed to their marital issues. “I tried with all my heart, but you can only try so much,” Smith said. “I’m a dreamer, but you have to live in this world.”
She added: “All the publicity contributed to the breakup. I guess a man doesn’t want competition, and I understand that. I’m not one of those big women’s libbers. I understood Dennis wanted to be the head of the house, and the papers were calling him ‘Mr. Jaclyn Smith.’ ”
There were also, she said, several rumors in the press. “No one knows the inside story, and it’s no one’s business,” she said. “I can say that Dennis and I came out friends.” The pair divorced in 1981.
In 1985, Smith recalled to PEOPLE that she experienced a “strong sense of failure” after their marriage ended.
Tony Richmond
Before her third marriage, Smith joked, “If this marriage doesn’t work I’m going into a nunnery.” She married British director and cinematographer Anthony “Tony” Richmond in 1981. The couple met in 1980 while shooting the film Nightkill. After they married, they collaborated on several projects, including the movie Déjà Vu, which Richmond directed and in which Smith starred.
“The first thing that strikes you is her physical beauty, no doubt about that,” Richmond, who won a BAFTA for best cinematography in 1974, told PEOPLE of meeting Smith. He had learned Smith was also “kind and funny, and knew who was taking her for a ride and who wasn’t.” Richmond had three children from his first marriage.
The pair kept their wedding small — only three friends and their three dogs were present at their nuptials. “I thought it should be just between Tony and me,” Smith said. “It was sort of emotional for me. After all, I was not the blushing bride.”
In a 1981 interview with PEOPLE, Smith shared that she felt some chagrin about having married three times — or, at least, about the criticism that came with her romantic past. “It’s a constant problem,” she said. “You learn to numb yourself to the gossip.”
In that same interview, Smith said she was looking forward to having kids. “We’re hoping,” she said. “He’s the ideal man — I’ve finally found him. … But listen — after two failures and a lot of fear and doubt about my judgment, he had to be special.”
Smith and Richmond had two children together. Their son, Gaston Anthony, was born in 1982, and their daughter, Spencer Margaret, was born in 1985. Smith had just found out she was pregnant with her son when she posed for the cover of PEOPLE in October 1981.
“This was the best time of my life,” she told PEOPLE in 2016, reflecting back on that issue. “Everything was bigger than life, including my hair.”
Despite having a stellar career, Smith was totally devoted to her children. “You don’t want to be away, you don’t want to miss a moment,” she told PEOPLE in 1985 while she was pregnant with Spencer.
“It would be easy after 14 hours of shooting for her to say ‘I’m tired’ or ‘I’m going to bed.’ But Gaston comes first,” added Richmond.
In September 2016, Spencer gave birth to her first daughter — and Smith’s first granddaughter — Bea. Through her son, Smith welcomed two more granddaughters: Olivia Rose in 2019 and Wren Jaclyn in 2023.
“The love that you have for your children, it’s like, ‘Oh my God.’ But this is even bigger — there are no words,” Smith told PEOPLE in 2017. “I was thrilled to become a grandma.” After Bea’s birth, Smith and Spencer collaborated on a line of baby clothing as part of Smith’s longtime collaboration with Kmart.
“I couldn’t have done this line without Spencer Margaret,” Smith added. “I couldn’t have made it as sophisticated. I maybe would have done it in a more baby-baby way. I think having multiple points of view is important — and making this a family project was a great way to spend time together.”
Brad Allen
When Smith’s father Jack was being treated for a heart condition at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, Smith felt a connection with surgeon Bradley Allen. The couple dated for seven years before marrying in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 1997. Smith’s daughter, then 11 years old, was the maid of honor; her son, 15, gave her away.
"There was nothing cookie-cutter about that wedding,” director Lou Antonio told PEOPLE. “It was joyous.”
“I want this one to be forever,” Smith told the Boston Herald ahead of their wedding.
Smith and Allen celebrated their 25th anniversary on Oct. 11, 2022. To mark the occasion, Smith posted an Instagram video of the pair, writing: "Happy 25th anniversary to my guy, my best friend, my partner in life who keeps me laughing through the ups and down and takes such good care of all of us, even my honeybun."
Smith has credited Allen with keeping her motivated to stay healthy. “I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs,” she told PEOPLE in 1999. Allen helped by “reminding me about a low-fat diet.”
In December 2022, the couple posted a series of workout videos, in which they shared affectionate kisses between reps. “It’s hard to stay motivated to work out during the holiday season but Brad and I have found a way to have a few laughs while also getting a workout done!” Smith wrote.
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