Jaclyn Smith is sharing a behind-the-scenes story from her days on Charlie’s Angels that few could have imagined. In her new memoir, I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie, the 80-year-old actress claims her late co-star Tanya Roberts once asked her to join a threesome with her and her husband.
The revelation comes as the iconic detective series approaches its 50th anniversary on September 22, 2026. Smith, the only original Angel to stay with the show for all five seasons, opened up about the surprising moment in an interview with People and in her book, which was released on September 8, 2026.
What Tanya Roberts Asked Jaclyn Smith on a Flight to Hawaii
The offer happened while the cast was flying to Hawaii to film episodes during the show’s fifth and final season. According to Smith’s memoir, Tanya Roberts and her husband, Barry Roberts, had an open marriage and were open about their lifestyle.
Smith writes that Roberts “wasn’t shy about it in the least, or about propositioning people to ‘swing’ with them.” During the flight, Roberts asked Smith to join her and Barry for a threesome. Smith declined the invitation.
“I found her honesty about her sexuality to be brave and self-aware,” Smith writes in the book. “The world is made up of all kinds of people with all kinds of passions, and hooray for that. My own perspective on marriage was traditional, based on the values I grew up with. Her choice seemed complicated to me, with great potential for hurt feelings.”
A funny moment followed the proposition. David Doyle, who played the Angels’ handler John Bosley, witnessed the exchange from his seat behind them. When Roberts went to the bathroom, Doyle asked Smith if she needed “some salt.” Smith writes that she was confused until he said, “Take it with a grain of salt,” and gestured toward the bathroom.
Who Was Tanya Roberts
Tanya Roberts joined Charlie’s Angels for its fifth and final season in 1980, playing Julie Rogers. She replaced Shelley Hack, who had earlier replaced Kate Jackson. Roberts starred alongside Smith and Cheryl Ladd.
Born Victoria Leigh Blum in the Bronx, Roberts started as a model before moving into acting. After Charlie’s Angels, she became a Bond girl, playing geologist Stacey Sutton opposite Roger Moore in the 1985 film A View to a Kill. She also starred in The Beastmaster and Sheena: Queen of the Jungle.
A new generation knew her as Midge Pinciotti, Donna’s mother, on That ’70s Show. Roberts died on January 4, 2021, at age 65 from a blood infection that stemmed from a urinary tract infection. Her husband, Barry Roberts, died in 2006.
Pay Gap and On-Set Secrets from the Memoir
Smith’s memoir also reveals a major pay gap between the original Angels. When the show started in 1976, Smith was offered $3,000 per episode. Farrah Fawcett was offered $5,000, and Kate Jackson received $10,000 per episode.
Smith pushed back and told her agent to demand equal pay with Fawcett or she would walk away. She got the raise. “I was probably a little more aggressive about that than today,” she told People. “I don’t know where that business sense came from but it was there I guess from my daddy.”
The memoir also covers the growing presence of cocaine on set during the fifth season. Smith writes that she spent more time in her motor home as drug use increased. “The more drug use I saw, the more time I spent in my motor home,” she writes. Smith has said she never used the drug. “I’ve watched that drug, in particular, turn people into the worst version of themselves,” she told The Independent.
Related:
A Sisterhood That Lasted
Despite the changes in cast and the wild stories, Smith remembers her bond with her co-stars fondly. She described their relationship as a strong “sisterhood” that lasted beyond the show.
“We were just three girls hoping to find an audience, and boy, did we find an audience,” Smith told People, referring to herself, Fawcett, and Jackson.
Smith reunited with Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd at PaleyFest LA 2026 in April to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary. Ladd called it “a long overdue get-together,” while Jackson tearfully called her co-stars “my sisters.”
Charlie’s Angels ran for five seasons from 1976 to 1981. The show turned its stars into household names and inspired a film series starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu. Smith still gets requests from fans to sign pictures from the show almost every day.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more classic TV updates and celebrity memoir revelations.
Leave a Reply