COUPLESJaclyn Smith and Husband Brad Allen Spent 17 Years Living in Different States During Decades-Long Marriage: 'We Made It Work'
Jaclyn Smith spoke out about the 17 years she spent living apart from her husband, Brad Allen.
Sept. 14 2026, Published 12:22 p.m. ET
Jaclyn Smith opened up about the unusual living arrangement she shared with her husband, Brad Allen, as they spent 17 years maintaining their marriage while in different states.
"When you have only a weekend, you really make it count," Smith, 80, told People in an interview published on Saturday, September 12. “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."
Jaclyn Smith Lived Separately From Husband Brad Allen for 17 Years
Jaclyn Smith and Brad Allen tied the knot in 1997.
The Charlie's Angels alum met her husband, 72, in 1991 when he assisted in her father's heart surgery.
Allen took a job in Chicago two years later and lived there for 17 years, while Smith continued residing in Los Angeles. The pair didn't close the distance in their relationship until 2009.
Inside Jaclyn Smith's Marriages
Jaclyn Smith revealed that she lived in Los Angeles while husband Brad Allen resided in Chicago.
"Now that we’re together, it’s just like bliss, because we did [long distance] for so long," she continued. "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."
Allen marked Smith's fourth time down the aisle. The Farrah's Story star said her first two marriages to actors Roger Davis and Dennis Cole did not "qualify as marriages in my heart of hearts. But I learned from them."
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Jaclyn Smith 'Worked Well' With Her Third Husband
Jaclyn Smith is a mother of two children.
Smith married her third husband, cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond, after meeting on the set of the 1980's film Knight Kill.
The pair married one year later and welcomed two children before ending their eight-year marriage.
"That period in my life was a very beautiful period," she recalled. "I never thought I’d have children, and he gave me these beautiful kids. He was devoted to me, and we worked well together."
Jaclyn Smith 'Got It Right' With Husband Brad Allen
Jaclyn Smith explained that her third marriage to Anthony B. Richmond ended due to his struggles with addiction.
Their marriage ended in 1989 due to Richmond's struggles with addiction.
"I think it would’ve worked, but I couldn’t cope with the alcohol and drugs," she said of the relationship. "The messiness of alcohol and when people abused it turned me off."
Smith felt she "finally got it right" with her current husband, adding, "I got a great husband, great marriage, and the most fantastic stepfather I could ever dream of."
