Jaclyn Smith shares rare insight into 17 years she and husband Brad Allen lived apart

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jaclyn Smith revealed that years spent living apart ultimately strengthened her relationship with husband Brad Allen, as she opens up about their 35-year marriage and the 17 years they spent living in different cities in her new memoir 'I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie' and a candid PEOPLE cover story.

She also reflects on her previous marriages, motherhood, and how she believes she finally found the right partner in Allen.

Jaclyn Smith on how she and Brad Allen made long-distance work

Smith first met Allen, 72, in 1991 when he helped perform her father’s heart surgery. About two years later, Allen accepted a job in Chicago, where he would remain for the next 17 years while Smith continued living in Los Angeles.

Despite the distance, the couple found ways to maintain their relationship and make their limited time together meaningful. 

“When you have only a weekend, you really make it count,” Smith said, adding, “I could go there, he could come here. He did most of the commuting, because I had two kids, and I couldn’t move them from their dad. We made it work.”

Smith and Allen married in 1997 while continuing to live apart. During that period, Allen also supported Smith through her 2002 breast cancer diagnosis. Smith, who is cancer-free following a lumpectomy and radiation, said their long-distance arrangement continued until 2009, when they finally began living together permanently. 

“Now that we’re together it’s just like bliss, because we did [long distance] for so long,” she says. “God, I can’t imagine not having him here now. I can’t. It just makes life easier and better. For a girl that just believed in marriage and kids, I finally got that.”

Jaclyn Smith reveals why she turned down a Bond girl role

In her new memoir, Smith revealed that she was offered the role of Holly Goodhead in the 1979 James Bond film 'Moonraker'. The opportunity would have reunited her with her Switch costar Richard Kiel, who played Jaws in multiple Bond films, including Moonraker. 

Kiel had previously worked with Smith on the 1975 TV series. However, Smith ultimately turned down the Bond role because its filming schedule conflicted with 'Charlie’s Angels'. She wrote, “When I asked [producers] Aaron [Spelling] and [Leonard Goldberg] about Moonraker, they said it conflicted with the Charlie’s shooting schedule—a schedule they weren’t willing to change. So I turned down the part.”

Smith, who starred on 'Charlie’s Angels' for five seasons from 1976 to 1981 alongside Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd, said she was not bitter about missing the opportunity.

Reflecting on her decision, the Houston native wrote, “There’s a saying in Texas: Dance with the one who brought you,” and added, “I felt like I couldn’t fight for the part in 'Moonraker' because my first commitment was to the show, and to Aaron. There would be more opportunities.”

Although Smith acknowledged the potential impact the Bond film could have had on her career, she chose not to dwell on the missed opportunity. “Sure, 'Moonraker' might have made a big impact on my career, but who knows? I tend to believe that all things happen for a reason, so while I was disappointed, I didn’t dwell on it.”