Jaclyn Smith has opened up about her lifelong struggle with OCD, revealing that her symptoms began at age 12 following her uncle’s death.
Jaclyn Smith has spoken candidly about her experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder and how it has affected her life and family. The Charlie’s Angels star, 80, discusses her journey in her new memoir, I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie.
Smith says her OCD symptoms began when she was 12 after her uncle died from complications related to alcohol addiction. She recalls developing a pattern of obsessive prayers focused on keeping her loved ones safe. The actress said the rituals helped ease her anxiety and fears about losing family members.
While studying psychology in college, Smith learned about OCD and recognised similarities between the condition and her own experiences. She said understanding the condition gave her a sense of relief because it helped explain what she had been experiencing.
Smith says stress can still trigger her OCD, particularly when concerns involve her children, Gaston and Spencer-Margaret. However, she has learned with age that she cannot control every situation or protect her loved ones from everything.
Motherhood has remained one of the most important parts of Smith’s life. She previously feared she might have difficulty having children after a doctor suggested she could be infertile during her adolescence.
Smith later welcomed her son Gaston in 1981 and her daughter Spencer-Margaret four years later. She said becoming a mother was an emotional and significant moment after believing she might never have children.
Although Smith and her third husband, Anthony B. Richmond, separated in 1989, she continues to describe their marriage positively and credits him with giving her their two children.
I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie is currently available wherever books are sold.