Here's What Happened to Novelist Jackie Collins, the Focus of CNN's 'Lady Boss'
Published June 27 2021, 12:40 p.m. ET
Author Jackie Collins produced countless novels over 40 decades of work as an author, the most notable being her book The Santangelos, which was originally published in 2014. More than 500 million copies of her books have been sold through the course of her career, and it doesn't hurt that she's the sister of Dynasty legend Joan Collins, either.
Sadly, Jackie Collins died on Sept. 19, 2015, and those who were unaware of her passing at the time have likely since wondered what happened to her — especially in light of the release of CNN's new documentary, Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story. Here's everything we know about the cause of her death.
What was Jackie Collins's cause of death? She had been struggling with cancer for over six years.
In a statement released by the Collins family to People Magazine, they revealed that Jackie ultimately died due to her six-and-a-half-year struggle with breast cancer. "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 statement read at the time.
It continued, "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 four decades. She was a true inspiration, a trailblazer for women in fiction, and a creative force. She will live on through her characters, but we already miss her beyond words."
Nearly seven years before her death, Jackie was first diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She chose to keep news of her illness primarily to herself, confiding only in her three daughters: Tracy, Tiffany, and Rory. Her last interview with People Magazine revealed how she truly felt about the diagnosis and how she was proud to have accomplished so much despite looming darkness.
"Looking back, I’m not sorry about anything I did. I did it my way, as Frank Sinatra would say. I’ve written five books since the diagnosis, I’ve lived my life, I’ve travelled all over the world, I have not turned down book tours and no one has ever known until now when I feel as though I should come out with it," she shared.
Jackie also mentioned that if anything, she just wanted her family to know how much she cared about them. "I love being with my family. I love sitting out by the pool and watching my [grandkids] play." She spoke fondly of her daughters, saying, "I’m so proud of them," and added, "I want them to feel secure, and I want them to feel, whatever happens, I’ll always be there."
In 2017, Universal Pictures acquired Jackie's 10-novel series based on mob daughter Lucky Santangelo, Deadline reported. The series was intended to be made into a film trilogy produced by Monumental Pictures partners Debra Hayward and Alison Owen, and Working Title partners Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner. It's unclear whether this is still in the works today.
CNN’s latest original film Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story premieres Sunday, June 27 at 9 p.m. EST on CNN. You can also catch it via Sling or watch a live stream of CNN (along with more than 65 other TV channels) via Hulu With Live TV.