Jaclyn Smith has shared a personal memory from her years on “Charlie’s Angels,” revealing that late costar Tanya Roberts once asked her to join Roberts and her husband for a threesome. Smith discussed the incident while reflecting on the television series and its lasting impact 50 years after its debut.
Smith, now 80, spoke with PEOPLE, an Entertainment Weekly sister publication, as part of the 50th anniversary coverage of “Charlie’s Angels.” The original series premiered in 1976 and quickly became a major pop culture success.
Smith appeared alongside Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson when the series began. “We were just three girls hoping to find an audience, and boy, did we find an audience,” Smith recalled.
Jackson left the series in 1979 after three seasons. Shelley Hack then joined the cast, followed later by Tanya Roberts. The show continued through five seasons before ending in 1981.
Tanya Roberts’ Open Marriage
Smith discusses Roberts in her memoir, “I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie.” According to Smith, Roberts had an open marriage with her husband, Barry Roberts, who died in 2006. Tanya Roberts died in 2021.
Smith wrote that Roberts “wasn’t shy about it in the least, or about propositioning people to ‘swing’ with them.” Smith said Roberts also approached her about the arrangement.
The actress recalled the conversation during a flight to Hawaii. Roberts asked Smith to join her and Barry Roberts for a threesome. Smith declined the invitation.
Despite turning down the proposition, Smith said she respected Roberts’ openness. She described Roberts’ “honesty about her sexuality” as “brave and self-aware.”
The Show’s Lasting Legacy
Smith also reflected on the attention “Charlie’s Angels” continues to receive decades after its final episode. Fans still send her photographs connected to the series for autographs.
“People still send Charlie’s Angels pictures for me to sign every day,” Smith said. “Who would have dreamed the afterlife of Charlie’s Angels would be like this?”
In April, Smith reunited with surviving cast members Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Ladd joined the series after Fawcett departed. Fawcett died in 2009.
Ladd described the reunion as “a long overdue get-together.” Jackson became emotional while calling Smith and Ladd “my sisters.” She also said, “it feels like it was yesterday” when recalling their time together on the series.
Smith’s recollections offer a glimpse into both the private relationships among the cast and the unusual attention surrounding “Charlie’s Angels.” The series ended in 1981, yet its original stars continue to reunite and discuss the experience.
The show’s 50th anniversary has brought renewed attention to the actors who helped make the series part of television history.
