Novelist Jackie Collins, the author of more than 30 books which sold more than 500 million copies, has died at age 77 after losing a battle with breast cancer, People reports:
“It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one of a kind mother, Jackie Collins, who died of breast cancer today,” the Collins family tells PEOPLE in a statement.
“She lived a wonderfully full life and was adored by her family, friends and the millions of readers who she has been entertaining for over 4 decades. She was a true inspiration, a trail blazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words.”
Actress Joan Collins, Jackie's sister, told People: “I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and a beautiful person and I love her.”
Collins was always mindful of her gay audience and fan base. She told The Advocate in 2014:
“It may sound cliché, but some of my best friends are gay and I always have a better time with them than I do straight people. That's why I've written gay characters into so many of my books. Some have bigger parts than others, but I like to write about all colors, all identities, all sexualities – gay, straight, whatever. I write characters that I see in my own life.”
If you have a reminiscence about Jackie Collins you'd like to share, please leave it in the comments below.
(image cyotethndr – wikimedia commons)
