Actress Jaclyn Smith has vulnerably opened up about her near-lifelong battle with obsessive–compulsive disorder.
Smith, 80, is undoubtedly known best for her role as Kelly Garrett in the ABC crime drama series “Charlie’s Angels,” which she played from 1976 until 1981.
She famously reprised her role as Garrett with cameo appearances in the 2003 movie “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and 2019’s “Charlie’s Angels,” and is also known include 1980’s psychological thriller “Nightkill” and 1985’s drama movie “Déjà Vu.”
The star has always largely come across as a somewhat carefree and easy-going person, but she has recently revealed that she has struggled with OCD since she was 12 years old. She spoke about her struggles in a candid chat with People.
Jaclyn Smith’s OCD Involves Loved Ones, Prayer & Sacrifice
Getty“Charlie’s Angels” star Jaclyn Smith was speaking to People for this week’s cover story, following the release of her new memoir “I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie.”
In the book, she revealed that she was a pre-teen when she started to obsessively pray for family members in an effort to keep them safe, after her uncle tragically passed away at the age of 54 from the effects of alcohol addiction.
Smith told People, “It’s really an unusual form of OCD. It all revolved around loved ones and prayer and sacrifice and manifesting. It just eased my anxiety and my nerves on the people I love so much, and I didn’t want to lose them.”
The star also swore off alcohol following her uncle’s passing and, while studying psychology in college, read up on OCD. What she learned about it resonated with her.
A passage in her book says, “It’s not fun being diagnosed (or self-diagnosing) with a psychiatric disorder, but at the same time I felt relieved. There was a name for it, and I wasn’t alone!”
Smith’s OCD Can Still Be Triggered Today
GettyJaclyn Smith’s OCD is still with her today and can be triggered during moments of stress. She says it is especially prevalent if the stressful situation involves her kids.
Smith is the mother of two children. Son Gaston is 44 and daughter Spencer-Margaret is 40. She shares both of them with her third husband, cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond, 84.
Of the situation, she tells People, “You just want to catch every raindrop, but I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older that you can’t control everything. You just can’t.”
She does, however, still say that motherhood has been “the best part of my life.”
Smith is still acting. The actress’ most recent roles came in 2025. She appeared in a single episode of the medical drama “Doctor Odyssey.” Before that, her last screen appearance was in the sports drama series “All American,” in which she had a recurring role.
Unfortunately for fans of Smith, she has no upcoming acting credits confirmed. That said, she is showing no signs of retiring, so keep your eyes peeled for future roles. We will certainly be looking forward to seeing more of her on our screens. We also hope her OCD is more manageable these days.
Jaclyn Smith’s filmography info was courtesy of IMDb.
