Jaclyn Smith Opens Up About Tanya Roberts' Threesome Proposal in Her New Memoir

When Jaclyn Smith flipped open her freshly printed memoir, “I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie,” she didn’t just reminisce about the glitz of Hollywood. She let readers in on a candid, sometimes uncomfortable slice of the past that most fans never saw on screen.

One of the most eye‑catching revelations comes from her friendship with fellow “Charlie’s Angels” alum Tanya Roberts. According to Smith, Tanya lived an open marriage with her husband Barry, a fact the two actresses chatted about openly on set. It wasn’t just talk‑the‑tea; it was lived experience. In fact, the memoir recounts a moment that still makes Smith blush: during a long flight to Hawaii, Tanya turned to her and, with a mischievous grin, asked, “Would you like to join Barry and me for a three‑way?”

Smith politely declined. She writes that while the invitation was unexpected, she admired Tanya’s “bravery and self‑awareness” in being so transparent about her sexuality. There’s a certain sweetness to the way Smith frames it – she never shames her friend, instead noting that the proposition was simply part of who Tanya was.

Beyond the threesome anecdote, Smith’s memoir paints a broader picture of the iconic series. “Charlie’s Angels” ran from 1976 to 1981, tracking three former police academy graduates who became private investigators for the mysterious Charlie Townsend. Smith, as Kelly Garrett, was the only angel to appear in all five seasons, sharing the screen first with Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson, then later with Cheryl Ladd and, finally, Tanya herself, who stepped in during the final season.

The book also dips into the darker corners of the set. Smith confesses that cocaine use was “pretty rampant” among the cast and crew, a reality she observed but never participated in. “The more drug use I saw, the more time I spent in my motor home,” she writes, emphasizing her own clean stance: “I’ve never used cocaine and I never will. I’ve watched that drug turn people into the worst version of themselves.”

Despite the chaos, Smith says the bond she forged with her original co‑stars—Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson—remained unbreakable. “After the applause, the friendship is still there,” she notes, underscoring a sisterhood that outlasted the show’s run.

Sadly, Tanya Roberts passed away in January 2021 at age 65 after a severe urinary‑tract infection spiraled into sepsis. Smith paid tribute on social media, praising the “joy” Tanya brought to countless fans through her role as Julie Rogers. The loss, Smith says, felt like the closing of a very personal chapter.

All in all, Smith’s memoir feels like a love letter to a bygone era—glittered with both the sparkle of stardom and the grit of backstage reality. Whether it’s an unexpected threesome offer on a plane or a frank discussion about drug culture, the book reminds us that the angels weren’t just flawless figures on TV; they were real people with messy, beautiful lives.