Jaclyn Smith and Husband Brad Allen ‘Are a Great Match’: ‘No Issues About Who Is the Bigger Breadwinner’

Jaclyn Smith likes to keep busy. “During COVID, we remodeled every room in the house,” she says of the Beverly Hills Georgian Colonial home she purchased in 1991. “We added a fireplace and a porch and used my Inside Out Performance upholstery fabric for my outdoor furniture.”

As private investigator Kelly Garrett, Jaclyn, 78, became a household name in Charlie’s Angels in 1976. Though she moved on to other acting jobs after the series’ conclusion, the actress found an even more successful second act as a celebrity brand. “I owe it all to Charlie’s Angels, which gave me the opportunity,” says the star, who is reportedly worth $150 million. “I was the first actress who branded her own line at a time when everyone just lent their name to a product. Everyone said I shouldn’t do it, but it was probably the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Growing up in Houston, Jaclyn studied to become a dancer, but her beauty and luscious waves of dark hair made her the perfect model for brands like Breck, Wella Balsam and Max Factor. Her TV ads led to guest appearances on McCloud, The Rookies, and other popular TV series of the 1970s before landing her a role on Charlie’s Angels , where she remained for five seasons. “You tend not to have a life of your own,” she admitted at the height of her Angels’ fame. “You come home, eat dinner, study your lines and go to sleep.”

But Jaclyn never shied away from hard work. The daughter of a dentist and a mom who once dreamed of designing fashion, the actress credits her parents for instilling her with great taste and a strong work ethic. “I like to work,” Jaclyn says. “I enjoy taking on different chores.”

Opportunity Knocks for Jaclyn Smith

Jaclyn initially turned down an offer to develop a clothing line for Kmart in the mid-1980s. “I didn’t shop at Kmart,” she admits. “I always loved fashion, but designing for the mass market was daunting.”

In the end, she swallowed her doubts and agreed. “My advice is to go toward the fear, the unknown terrain, because that’s where the fruit is,” she says, adding that when it comes to business, she “has no regrets.”

Her first collection of women’s apparel hit the racks in 1985. At the time, Jaclyn was a relatively new mom to son Gaston, 42, and daughter Spencer, 38, so she welcomed the chance to work around her young family’s needs. “My work has always been very exciting and interesting, but to me, my family must come first,” she says.

Nothing’s Impossible for Jaclyn Smith

Today, Jaclyn’s empire includes clothing, perfume, a fabric collection, wigs and a skincare line she collaborated on with her husband, Brad Allen . “I trust Brad, and he took the beauty line to another level,” says Jaclyn, who met the heart surgeon when he operated on her father.

“My mom didn’t want me walking down to the parking garage alone, so he would walk me down,” she confided to Closer about the start of their romance. She and Brad dated for seven years before tying the knot in 1997.

“We have similar values and upbringing. Spiritually, we think the same,” she says. “He’s kind, and I saw a purity of heart.”

The success of the thrice-divorced actress has impacted some of her other romantic relationships negatively, but Brad is not threatened. “Brad is very low-key and lets Jaclyn be Jaclyn,” a friend of the couple exclusively tells Closer . “They’re a great match and have no issues about who is the bigger breadwinner. He’s got his career and she has hers.”

And he’s been there for Jaclyn when it counts — such as when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. The actress underwent a successful lumpectomy and radiation. “[Cancer] is a family disease,” says the star. “It affects everyone, not just the people going through treatment.”

Today, Jaclyn has her health, a business that makes her feel creative and successful, and a family who adore her. Both of her children are married, and she’s the proud grandmother of three girls — and she loves to spoil them! For granddaughter Wren’s first birthday, Jaclyn brought miniature ponies to the party. The fashion mogul also took daughter Spencer and granddaughter Bea on a trip to India with her and Brad last March. “My husband and I love to travel,” Jaclyn says, “and we like to go to places we’ve never been.”

Recently, Jaclyn’s been on Instagram showing off designs from her new fall line. “I am excited to show the collection to this customer who has followed and grown up with me,” says the star, who sometimes pairs haute designer wear with items from her own line. “Many people said, ‘Why are you doing this? Why don’t you relax and play with your grandkids?’ I am at my best when I am working. My family is always my top priority, but somehow, you make it all work.”