The Guardian has a new interview with Joan Collins, 85. Joan is currently promoting her one-woman show and she’s also on American Horror Story. The last time I covered an interview with her was in 2015 so it’s been a while, but she makes an impression. I particularly remember a 2014 interview where she said the secret to her fifth marriage, to a man over 30 years her junior, was sex. They’ve been married since 2002 so something must be working. Joan was 48 when she started doing Dynasty in 1978. She’s been around longer than you think, and she’ll tell you about it. Joan has some extremely bad takes in this interview, particularly on metoo and assaults on women and on her friendship with Piers Morgan. I’ve heard similar horrible victim-blaming takes from relatives and have argued briefly and walked away. Joan has not evolved with the times and there is no excuse for that. However I want to focus on what she said about her sister possibly visiting her as a fly. Jackie passed three years ago and I didn’t realize that she didn’t even tell Joan she had cancer.
On Jackie visiting her as a little fly
“Do you believe that little flies or butterflies or something can be old souls, people that you knew? I have this little fly that comes near me all the time. It’s really strange.”“I think it might be my sister. I know that sounds weird, and I don’t know whether I believe in the afterlife or not,” she continues. “My opinion is still out to lunch about that, but it is weird that wherever I go, at least two or three times a week – wherever I am, France, London, here – this little fly comes. Now maybe it’s because the fruit’s rotting in the kitchen! I don’t know. But anyway… If it is: hello Jack.”
“You know, like sisters, we all have our problems, which the press loved to exacerbate, or exaggerate. But I mean, she was the closest person to me for many years and with me being the older sister she kind of worshipped me in a way.”
On Jackie not telling her she had cancer
“[She] only [told] her daughters. Thank God she didn’t tell me. I mean, I wish she had. But she didn’t want pity, and that’s what happens – in this town particularly, you know, gossip.”
Is Joan serious about her sister or is she using that as a metaphor? We’ve heard similar things from other celebrities about their loved ones visiting them in other forms. The day my uncle passed I saw a red-bellied woodpecker in my backyard for the first time. My uncle was a bird lover, his career was in wildlife management, and I took it as a sign. I didn’t think the bird was him, but it made me think of him. Now that her incredible sister has passed (she was the queen of trashy novels, respect), Joan keeps getting visited by flies and that seems more than coincidental. I hope that my loved ones send less annoying signs to me, like a special kind of flower or some lovely animal outside that doesn’t bother me at random times. As for Jackie not telling her she had cancer, that would hurt me if a loved one kept something like that from me but it sounds like Joan understood.
photos credit: WENN
I’m forever killing flies in the summer. Now I’m going to think twice. They annoy me so much though.
Well, if it helps – I think flies tend to be related to demons if you’re worried they’re a dead acquaintance haha. Pretty sure specifically belzebub. I listen to a really funny paranormal/true crime podcast while at work and I’ve been teasing my husband that we’re being haunted. I’ll just be like “oh hey, Belz, what up my dude?” at the flies because this summer we had like 6-10 flies circling our ceiling fan. I’ve neeeeverrr seen more than 1 or 2 at a time because we have screens on all the windows and doors but for some reason this summer we just had a ton that got in. And we both had a lot of crappy things going on this summer as well, our health, family member with cancer that needed surgery, another family member getting surgery, a pet died… just all kinds of negative all at once.
As much as I joke about it though, and as much as my husband doesn’t believe in ghosts or anything, he’s always held the superstition of cardinals being a visit from a family member. He has a gorgeous cardinal tattoo on his bicep. And cardinals are much less annoying than flies.
@Erinn, what’s the podcast? That sounds up my alley.
I’ve no recollection of anything that could be taken as a sign after a loved one has passed. However, they do come to me in dreams. They never say anything, just kind of hang back, like they’re observing. This didn’t happen until I was 30 and my grandfather died. Maybe because his death hit me the hardest. Whatever the reason, I’m glad they visit.
I’ve woken up to what I was positive was my grandfathers voice saying my name. I was home by myself so it wasn’t my husband. I had always wished he’d been able to see the house we bought – and I took it as a sign that he did. And was probably like “you spent HOW much?” because he was a man very interested in saving money despite having plenty of it haha. I’ve also had recurring dreams about certain relatives and one pet- which have always been a mix of sad and happy.
It’s called “And That’s Why We Drink” – it’s a good mix of creepy and funny. Haunted dolls, serial killers, superstitions, etc. It’s pretty typically a paranormal kind of story, followed by a crime story. The funny parts are what makes me able to listen without being creeped out too much. I think it’s on spotify, apple podcasts, google play, stitcher… pretty much all the main podcast apps. I just stream the free spotify browser program on my work pc while I code.
Thank you! ❤
My dad experiences that. People come to him after they die (people he knows, I mean, not randoms.) They talk to him. My mom always said he was asleep when these would happen, but he swears he’s always been awake. I’m not sure it matters, awake or asleep. He’s creepy 😂 my brother hears things, my sister has precognitive dreams, we’re all various levels of in touch with the other side.
The original over-made-up tart! Paving the way for the likes of the Kardashian’s for decades.
Not even close.
Internalised misogyny is a bitch.
I like Joan, but she sounds like a narcissist here. All of the comments about her sister she makes about herself in some way.
As a huge fan of both Dynasty and Dallas, I have to point out that she was the star of Dynasty. The introduction of her character changed the trajectory of that show and turned it into a massive, global hit. Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter is a tv icon.
I fucked that up. I fixed it thanks for being nice about it!
I nursed my friend till his death. He told me when he died he was coming back as a butterfly so he could peep in our Windows and catch me naked. I went to clean his apartment, He was too sick. Found him out of it with a cigarette burning the rug and couch and was too out of it to wear his leg and was peeing in cups. He died that night and the next day a butterfly came and sat on my head while I smoked and cried. I’m a believer
That’s incredibly sad, but also so sweet. <3
A harmless belief that helps her cope with her loss.
I’m sad that she is not supportive of #metoo. I read her autobiography years ago in which she describes that the man who eventually became her first husband got her drunk and then raped her when she was a teenager.
She’s an awful, bigoted woman. This isn’t about internalized misogyny. She’s no victim. She is also an anti-Muslim bigot.
I don’t really believe in signs from our loved ones that have passed but if it makes the person who has lost someone feel better then I think that’s great. A friend of mine lost her sister and her dad within months of each other. Very sudden, unexpected deaths. She posts on social media daily about coins on the ground, certain birds and rainbows as signs from her loved ones. I’m glad that it brings her peace in such tragedy.
My pom passed away 14 months ago and I believe she visits as a fly. She was always fascinated anything that buzzed as if she were half pom half cat. The hubby and I refer to a fly as “Sheba fly” and we never hit it or try to kill it. 🙂
Omg did anyone see her in American Horror Story Apocalypse in an early episode when they were eating (possibly human) soup and she says, “Well, I for one am finishing every bite. It tastes divine…and it’s full of fiber!” Have to see it to believe it. The first episode she sipping champagne when the apocalypse happens and doesn’t want to leave her brocade sofa. She is absolute evil comedy gold in that season.
my bro committed suicide this summer and i kept seeing this white butterfly fly towards me right towards me wheni was on my deck… also in during night when i could cry myself to sleep when i finally fell to sleep a car alarm would go off multiple nights . I took this as weird signs to cheer up he never wanted me to fret.