Inside Jaclyn Smith's Prior Marriages: From Roger Davis to Brad Allen

Jaclyn Smith endured multiple heartbreaks before finding lasting love with her husband, Brad Allen.

The Charlie's Angels actress has been married four times: to Roger Davis from 1968 to 1975, Dennis Cole from 1978 to 1981, Tony Richmond from 1981 to 1989 and Allen, whom she married in 1997.

In an interview with People following the release of her memoir, I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie, Smith acknowledged her four marriages might come as a surprise to those who know her as someone who tends to play by the rules.

"I'm a rule-follower from the best family in the whole wide world — no one would think I'd have this many marriages," the 80-year-old said. "I think it shocks my kids, but they understand it, because they really know me."

As for her first two marriages, both of which she said ended amid infidelity, Smith admitted she does not feel they "qualify as marriages in [her] heart of hearts. But [she] learned from them."

Scroll down to learn more about Smith's four marriages.

Smith and Davis tied the knot in 1968 after he proposed to her just two dates into their relationship.

"I was such an innocent," she told People in 1978. "I was too much living for him, and I lost sight of myself."

She also discussed their trips to marriage counselors, recalling, "I wanted them to say, 'Go ahead and leave him,' but all they would say was, 'Why do you stay?'"

Over five decades after their 1975 divorce, the Golden Globe-nominated actress revealed she discovered Davis had been cheating on her with their real estate agent, a woman named Laura. She also found him with another woman on their fourth wedding anniversary, leading to their split.

"I mean, I was pretty naive and in love with love, but there's a line," she said. "When the paint starts to peel, get out, because it doesn't change."

In November 1978, Smith exchanged vows with The Felony Squad actor in front of 25 guests in New York City after a year and a half of dating.

Their marriage lasted until 1981, with professional competition between the two stars reportedly contributing to their marital issues.

"I tried with all my heart, but you can only try so much," she said. "I'm a dreamer, but you have to live in this world."

She also mentioned several rumors in the press, saying, "No one knows the inside story, and it's no one's business. I can say that Dennis and I came out friends."

Smith disclosed she discovered Cole had been unfaithful after finding a note in his pocket from his son's girlfriend. Despite their failed marriage, she described her second husband warmly.

"He was a nice person," she said. "It just didn't work out."

Smith met her third husband, Richmond, on the set of her 1980 film Nightkill. They began dating after filming wrapped and wed in 1981.

The two went on to expand their family and welcomed son Gaston Richmond in 1982 and daughter Spencer Margaret Richmond in 1985.

"That period in my life was a very beautiful period," she said. "I never thought I'd have children, and he gave me these beautiful kids. He was devoted to me, and we worked well together."

Like her first two marriages, Jaclyn's relationship with Tony ultimately fell apart as he battled addiction. They divorced in 1989.

In a 1991 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jaclyn reflected on the intense media attention surrounding her separation from Tony, saying the tabloid coverage often exaggerated what was happening behind closed doors.

"I'd sort of forgotten about the effect it can have, that gross exaggeration of your personal life," she said. “They don't have the facts, the story behind closed doors. I thought, well, I could come out and talk, but I didn't want to because it brought more attention to everything. I felt it was a betrayal to the two most important people in my life, which are my children. When they want to ask questions, then I can answer for them. It just seems what happened was between the four of us, and no one else."

Jaclyn "finally got it right" when she met Brad, a cardiothoracic surgeon who helped treat her father's heart condition at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center in 1991. They dated for seven years before marrying in 1997.

"I got a great husband, great marriage, and the most fantastic stepfather I could ever dream of," she told People of her husband. "I mean, he loves my kids like they're his. There's no better gift. For a girl that just believed in marriage and kids, I finally got that."

The two maintained their marriage while living in different states for 17 years.

"When you have only a weekend, you really make it count," she noted. "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."