The Truth About All Of Joan Collins' Ex-Husbands
The following article includes allegations of substance use and sexual assault.
After kissing (and, well, marrying) several frogs along the way, Joan Collins finally found her happily ever after in her fifth husband, producer Percy Gibson. With the couple celebrating two decades of marriage earlier this year, it's safe to say Gibson is Collins' real-life Prince Charming. However, we can't help but wonder: who were Collins' first four frogs, and what stopped them from sticking around long-term?
As a Hollywood star, prolific writer, fashion icon and philanthropist whose charitable efforts led to her snagging a damehood in 2015 (via BBC), there's plenty Collins is known for. However, even with phenomenal accolades under her belt, she continues to be spoken about in relation to her marriages. And, she has a pretty good sense of humor about it. Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show late last year, she joked about her first four attempts at matrimony, while gushing over her marriage to Gibson. "I've been married to Percy the same amount of time as I was married to the other four, [when] you add up all the other marriages," she smiled.
That said, she's also admitted to regretting at least some of the unions. In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, when asked what she'd edit from her past given the chance, she responded, "Several husbands." So, just where did each of Gibson's forerunners go so wrong?
Her first marriage had a terrifying start
Joan Collins first walked down the aisle with Maxwell Reed at the tender age of 18. However, though she revealed on "The Originals" podcast that Reed had been her celebrity crush, the union was anything but a teenage dream. Far from it, the beginning of their relationship was more akin to a nightmare.
Speaking to Andrew Goldman, Collins revealed that after a night of unexpected changes — such as being tricked into Reed's home instead of the country club he'd initially told her they were going to — he drugged and sexually assaulted her on their first date. In spite of that, she managed to forgive him. "He totally turned a new leaf, he became very kind and loving," she shared.
Eventually, their relationship reached a point where they planned to move in together. Collins' parents were against the idea of them living together unwed, which led to them marrying instead — but their union was short-lived. In a BBC documentary released earlier this year, she revealed that she reached her breaking point when Reed tried to organize a dodgy deal with a sheikh. "Max told me, 'He'll pay you £10,000 for one night — and I can even watch," she recounted (via Daily Beast). In response, Collins walked away. "I went home to Mummy," she said.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Joan had children with husbands two and three
Joan Collins wasn't quick to walk down the aisle a second time, but when she did, she wed singer-songwriter Anthony Newley. If the name doesn't immediately ring a bell, that would be the songwriting partner of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" composer Leslie Bricusse. Collins and Newley stayed together for a total of eight years. And, per People, during that time, they welcomed two children: daughter Tara Newley and son Alexander Newley.
As for what went wrong, Collins wrote in a column for Daily Mail that Newley's numerous infidelities became too much to bear. She ended up having an affair with "Phantom Menace" actor Terence Stamp, "to even the scales." However, she eventually reached her limit. She later admitted, "It was plainly too late to save our marriage." A divorce was quick to follow, and Collins had no intention of remarrying — until she met Ron Kass. "Within weeks, he'd asked me to marry him," she wrote. They wed, Katyana Kass was born, and as Collins wrote for Daily Mail, "The next three years were among the happiest of my life."
Unfortunately, the third time wasn't a charm for Collins. Kass lost his job as one of the heads of a film company, and turned to drugs, ultimately bringing the family to financial ruin. "My intelligent and ambitious husband had ruined his life, and almost ruined mine. Time for divorce number three," she wrote.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Joan Collins' fourth marriage was a short-lived disaster
Despite the drama surrounding her first three marriages, Joan Collins is quick to acknowledge that the fourth took the cake. In fact, in her Daily Mail column, she referred to Swedish singer Peter Holm as "a mixture of obdurate dullard and calculating sociopath."
According to Collins, she hadn't wanted to marry Holm in the first place. However, persistent nagging from the boyfriend-turned-financial-manager did the trick. "Ultimately, he just wore me down," she revealed. Things soon escalated to a point where he became increasingly controlling and "frankly scary." Eventually, Collins caught Holm in bed with another woman, and the divorce proceedings began. As The Washington Post reported at the time, the split was as acrimonious as could be, with the former couple battling it out over everything from homes to answering machines. Eventually, per AP, Collins ended up paying $180,000 to her ex-husband, bringing the proceedings to an end. Understandably, the ordeal left a bitter taste in her mouth, and the "Dynasty" alum joked to The Washington Post that she wouldn't marry a fifth time.
Luckily for Collins, however, she did go on to wed once more, and it certainly seems like she's still happy with the decision. Speaking in her "This Is Joan Collins" documentary of her current husband, Percy Gibson, she gushed, "I've finally found my true soulmate. And my husband forever" (via The U.S. Sun). We couldn't be happier for her — it certainly was a long time coming!