Jaclyn Smith Lived Apart From Her Husband for 17 Years During Their 35-Year Marriage

Jaclyn Smith has been lucky enough to find the true love of her life, and it wasn't on a movie or TV show. Instead, the actress, 80, found the love of her life in her father's hospital room.

In her latest book, called I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie, the Charlie's Angels star reveals that she and her fourth husband (a doctor named Brad Allen) lived in different cities for 17 of their 35 years together. And, according to Smith, the unusual setup was actually the reason why the marriage lasted so long.

Allen was introduced to Smith in 1991, when he helped perform a heart operation on her father. At the time, Smith described meeting Allen as feeling like she'd known him forever. He was clean-cut and resembled some of the college-educated men she'd grown up around. Allen also was especially friendly to both of her parents, which made him even more familiar to her.

"It's true, the greatest love comes when you're least looking for it," Smith told Fox News. "He operated on my dad. I remember he walked into the room, and he looked like the guys I grew up with, clean cut and just collegiate. He looked like just the guy down the street. And he was so good to my parents."

This timing influenced the relationship. After divorcing three times and raising two small children, Smith said that she wasn't going to marry impulsively anymore, as she had in the past.

"It was no longer me going, 'OK, my heart's beating out of my chest, and I'm going to get married right away.' It had to be a three-way decision," she said.

After Allen started working at the University of Illinois-Chicago, two years after the couple met, he remained there and Smith stayed in Los Angeles. Rather than force the issue, they decided to live apart for years until they were ready to get married. They commuted between L.A. and Chicago for years prior to tying the knot in 1997.

"Ultimately, we commuted for 17 years," Smith explained. "We married after seven years. And when we got married, we really knew one another. We knew each other's families. We knew our priorities. We knew what we expected in life. And that is important in any relationship."

According to Smith, she attributes that time apart as providing their marriage with something other couples don't have.

Her daughter was 11 when she walked down the aisle as her maid of honor, while her 15-year-old son walked her down the aisle as her escort.

Allen moved permanently to Los Angeles in 2009 and went on to support Smith during her 2002 b----- cancer diagnosis. After undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation treatment, Smith is now cancer-free.

Smith is certain about Allen because she learned a lot through her previous three failed marriages. After marrying Dark Shadows star Roger Davis in 1968 and discovering his infidelity on their fourth wedding anniversary, Smith said she mistakenly confused attraction with a foundation on which you could build a successful marriage.

During her second marriage, Smith married actor Dennis Cole in 1978 and divorced him in 1981 after finding a revealing note in his pocket. She also married British cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond the same year and welcomed two children before the marriage broke due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Smith said she eventually left to protect her children. She wouldn't allow herself to continue living with someone who put substance abuse above family.

At age 80 today, Smith views her story as survival. She said writing I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie allowed her to see how tough she is, and how far she's come since struggling through unsuccessful marriages and focusing on creating success, and most importantly, being present for her children.

She credits her parents for giving her a good start in life and setting an example of dedication. With that in mind, she feels connected to the female camaraderie centered around Charlie's Angels, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, as well as the family she focused on over everything else.

Looking back at her somewhat unpredictable journey with appreciation, she added that she stuck with things, worked hard and dedicated herself completely to the people she cares about.

"You have to give up control when you don't want to because you don't want anything to hurt them. I think of my journey, it's been unpredictable," Smith said. "I come away thinking, 'What would my parents think?' But I'm a girl who stuck to things, worked very hard and just gave it all to my family."

I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie is available now.