Donna Mills is a television icon and one of the most loved soap opera stars thanks to her role as Abby Cunningham in “Knots Landing.” On Thursday, September 24, the actress made a rare red carpet appearance at age 85 to attend the Farrah Fawcett Foundation 2026 Tex-Mex Fiesta at The Rustic in Dallas, Texas.
Donna Mills Shines on the Red Carpet
GettyMills posed for photos in a gorgeous gold dress. She wore her hair styled into loose curls and smiled widely for the cameras. She looked so beautiful and the picture of good health.
In July, Mills admitted that she has worked hard to maintain her appearance. “I think the people out there have to realize it takes work. You can’t just decide, ‘Oh, I’m going to look good,’ you know?” she said on Kara Mayer Robinson’s “Really Famous” podcast, Fox News Digital reports. “I didn’t wake up looking like this.”
Mills also discussed the importance of staying active. “I started out as a dancer, so I know how essential that is, and I know what it means for your body,” she said. “And I know that I don’t have, at my age, any of the things that happen to the body, you know? I mean I’ve not had any knees replaced or hips replaced or anything, you know, because I never stopped working out.”
On the red carpet, the actress also posed for photos with other big stars, including Alana Stewart, Marcia Cross, and Jaclyn Smith.
Donna Mills Reflects on Her Career
Mills has had an incredible career, and she reflected on her decades in the entertainment industry in a 2025 interview with Vogue. “I’ve seen very little of the backstabbing everybody talks about,” she said. “I’ve seen people who work together and care about each other and care about what they’re making.”
Mills also discussed her iconic “Knots Landing” character, saying, “I liked her. She was a real person. She was a mother, she was vulnerable—just never in front of other people.” Mills helped shape Abby’s wardrobe choices. “Once a week, the show would send me to Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, and I’d pick out outfits for Abby,” she said. “A personal shopper would meet us, and they’d lay out coffee and croissants—it was quite lovely, actually.”
In July, Mills revealed a surprising new source of income through OnlyFans, where she intended to connect with her fans in a more personal way. “The support and encouragement my fans have shown me over the years has meant the world to me,” she told People in a statement. “While social media has been a great way to keep in touch, I’m thrilled to be joining OnlyFans, where I can connect with people in a more personal, direct way.”
The statement continues, “I’ll be sharing pieces of my everyday life, behind-the-scenes moments, and having real conversations with the fans who’ve been with me through it all. For me, it’s just one more way to spend quality time with the people who’ve made my career possible, while always staying true to myself.”
