“Everyone looks young with filters on.” – This is what an internet user had to say about Joan Collins, who looked young in a photo despite having turned 90 in May 2023.
Collins flaunted her slim legs wearing leggings and a leather jacket in the photo, and users claimed she was wearing a wig, relying on filters to enhance her appearance, and even accused her of undergoing plastic surgery.
Despite her rollercoaster life, Collins looks impressive at 90 and is living her best life with her much-younger husband, who loves her just as she is.
At 90, Joan Collins is one of Hollywood’s oldest-living stars. She began acting as a child, starting as a theater actress in 1942.
Seven years later, Collins enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where she started training to become a professional actress. The following year, she signed a contract with a British film studio owned by businessman Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank.
Since signing her contract, there were no signs of slowing down for Collins, who landed role after role. Her film debut was in a short film called “Facts and Fancies” in 1951, and in the same year, she was in a feature film called “Lady Godiva Rides Again.”
The following year, in 1952, she starred in “The Woman’s Angle” and “Judgment Deferred,” which began her widely successful career in the entertainment industry. For her success, Collins has her grandmother to thank for encouraging her to become an actress early on.
She taught me to sing, tap dance, and even do the splits – which I can still do,” Collins credited. However, despite having all the training and support from her grandmother, the rest of the world wasn’t so nice.
Her father, who was an agent, discouraged her from being an actress. He told her she’d be “finished” by the time she was in her mid-20s. Years later, as she looked back at her decades-long career, Collins proudly said: “Well, Daddy, I proved you wrong.”
In fact, she proved everyone wrong – those who did not take her seriously during her early days as an actress, those who doubted her, and those who did not support her.
She pursued her career alone, and eventually, made it through. Speaking about the tough time she had before she could finally say she made it, she recalled:
“I never had anybody; I never had the great agent or great husband – before Percy, that is – I never had anyone who was really supportive of me.”
A month before turning 90, Collins proved she’s still a force to be reckoned with when she posted a photo looking decades younger than she actually is. In her photo, she sported a pair of leggings, a leather jacket, and a pair of boots, and accessorized the look with sunglasses.
The “Dynasty” actress looked gorgeous, but she wasn’t spared from the harsh comments of internet users, who claimed her appearance was too good to be true. They hypothesized how Collins could still look that way at 90, accusing her of wearing a wig, undergoing plastic surgery, and using filters.
“It’s interesting how she doesn’t show her hands in the picture??? If she did, you’d notice how much surgery she’s had on her face,” a commenter judged. “OK, maybe a filter was used and a wig, but nonetheless, how is it possible to look so amazing at age 79 [sic]?” one user defended.
Despite the kind words, people still commented underneath, saying the reason Collins looked that good was “fillers,” with another chiming in that the reason was “surgery.” “Everybody looks good with filters on,” they concluded.
Ninety years of life meant 90 years of experience for Collins, who has gone through all the ups and downs one can possibly think of. At the young age of 18, she was assaulted on her very first date with British actor Maxwell Reed, who was her ultimate crush.
Then 32, Reed picked Collins up in a powder blue Buick, a car that was rarely seen in England those days, as it was an American car. He initially told her they were headed to the country club, but instead, he drove her to his home, where things escalated quickly.
Collins never reported Reed to the authorities, nor did she tell her parents about what happened. She feared they would blame her for going up to his room in the first place.
While her first date experience was a red flag, Collins still married Reed, claiming he apologized and changed his ways. Throughout their marriage, it was Reed’s ability to make her laugh that she found appealing.
After divorcing Reed, she was married to British singer-songwriter Anthony Newley from 1932 to 1971. Together they shared two children, a daughter, Tara, and a son, Sacha, who once accused his father of pedophilia.
A year after divorcing Newley, she married American businessman Ron Kass, also known as The Beatles’ recording producer. Kass proposed to Collins just weeks after meeting her, even though he himself was married.
Kass and Collins share a child named Katyana. Through the years, their marriage was marred by Kass’s drug use. In 1983, however, Collins ultimately filed for divorce when she discovered Kass had forged her signature on a bank document.
In 1980, Kass and Collins had to deal with the horrific car crash that almost took their daughter’s life. She suffered serious brain injuries and was in a deep coma after a car hit her.
For weeks, the couple set their differences aside and stayed by their daughter’s bedside while she made her recovery. Doctors were doubtful that she’d ever live a normal life again, but Collins refused to give up hope.
True enough, Katy made a full recovery. However, she didn’t remember anything about her life before the accident and had to start from scratch.
Two years later, Collins married Swedish pop singer Peter Holm, who was 14 years younger than her. He worked as her manager and co-producer at the time.
Years later, one of Holm’s girlfriends revealed that he admitted he only married Collins for money and that he actually thought she was “old and wrinkled,” which is why he cheated throughout the marriage.
The fifth time was the charm for Collins when she married Percy Gibson in 2002, two years after meeting in New York at one of Collins’ book signing events. Although he is 31 years younger than her, their marriage remains strong to this day.
Gibson is best known for his work on “The Time of Our Lives,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” and “Banksy’s Coming to Dinner.” He is a producer and was originally from Peru before becoming a naturalized US citizen.
The age difference isn’t something that bothers the actress. In fact, she even joked once: “At first, people would always say, ‘What are you going to do about the age difference?’ I’d say, ‘Well, if he dies, he dies!'”
Collins had been unlucky in love until Gibson came around. She experienced several relationships with gold diggers who expected her to give them her hard-earned money. “I kissed a lot of frogs before I found my prince, and my sad litany of divorces and gold diggers goes way back,” she said. Now, Gibson and Collins are madly in love, and the actress is glad to have found her soulmate.
Despite this, Gibson and Collins have gone through their fair share of hardships. In 2019, a fire consumed parts of their apartment after sun rays bounced off of a mirror.
Collins credited Gibson for bravely going into the room with a fire extinguisher, or else their home would have been consumed by the flames. She also credited the firefighters who swiftly helped them, praising their selflessness.
While they tried to put the fire out, Collins stood outside the building wearing cotton pajamas, thin socks, and a robe. She didn’t even think about other things she could save before rushing out of the flat.
Collins also had a health scare in 2022 while on vacation in Monaco. She had a trapped nerve in her leg but made a full recovery and continued traveling the world afterward.
Another challenge that Gibson and Collins are both proud to have surpassed was the COVID-19 pandemic. They were together 24/7 during the quarantine, and they credited the occurrence for making them “closer than ever.”
During the lockdown, the couple stayed in their villa in St. Tropez, France, a place where they used to entertain guests and socialize with other people. Due to the pandemic, however, they began to appreciate even quiet days in their villa, with just the two of them keeping each other company.
It isn’t just Collins who believed that the pandemic brought them closer; Gibson shared the same sentiments. “Being together is the best thing. I don’t think I could have survived the Covid situation with anyone except my wife.”
Before the pandemic was announced, Collins already had a feeling that something was about to happen. They were home in Los Angeles when she started getting a feeling that they should head back to London.
Early in 2020, Collins had already started wearing gloves, and she was already wiping down all the tables and cutlery at restaurants whenever they ate out. True enough, they headed to England only two weeks before the US government-imposed lockdown.
When travel restrictions were lifted, the couple decided to fly to their St. Tropez Villa, where Gibson would treat his wife to delicious home-cooked meals every day. Although Collins admitted to gaining weight while in lockdown, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
After being married for twenty years, the relationship between Gibson and Collins has made all her past heartaches disappear. For the first time, she experienced a proper marriage and one that her children were ultimately delighted to hear about.
Gibson keeps Collins young and full of energy. They can’t get enough of each other, but just like any other couple, they, too, have pet peeves about each other’s mannerisms.
Admittedly, Collins hates her husband’s snoring, especially when he snores loudly when she’s about to go to sleep. Hilariously, Gibson shot back at his wife and said that she snored loudly too, to her surprise!
Despite all the comments from internet users regarding her appearance and how she achieved it, there’s no denying the fact that the timeless actress looks nothing her age. To quash all the rumors about her looks, Collins has opened up about the beauty secrets that make her look youthful and glowing wherever she goes.
Unlike many Hollywood superstars, Collins chooses to do her own makeup. She always makes sure to put on smoky eyeshadow so she doesn’t need to wear mascara and swears by wearing lipstick. She even wears lipstick around the house!
Despite the heavy amount of makeup she’s worn through the years, Collins is religious about taking her makeup off after a day’s work. She also makes sure to use night cream, adding the richer it is, the better.
When asked about the best beauty advice she’s ever received, the actress claims it’s “keep your face out of the sun.” She’s learned to keep this advice close to her heart and has been seen wearing large sun hats through the years to protect her from the sun.
Aside from her makeup, Collins always tries to look her best. She wears modern-day clothing from Marks & Spencer, Zara, and H&M, making her just as youthful as the rest of the younger generation who wears the same brands.
If there’s anyone celebrities and fans alike should look up to when it comes to beauty, it’s definitely Joan Collins. Regardless of how she attained it, fans have learned to appreciate her beauty, knowing not a lot of people could stay strong and youthful at 90.
“My goodness how can this force of nature be 90 in a month’s time?? Incredible and a great example to everyone x,” a supporter wrote. “She is like ‘She’ the legend who lived for a thousand years. Whatever it is, she is taking some elixir for eternal youth,” another said in disbelief.
People continue to hype Collins up on social media, appreciating how well she’s taken care of herself through the years. More than her looks, they admire her for the work she’s done onscreen and the inspiring way she’s learned to conquer everything life has thrown at her, along with her children and loving husband.
