Dame Joan Collins ‘ interview on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories airs on Sunday night, and in it she opens up about her sister, legendary novelist Jackie Collins’ death from cancer in 2015.
Jackie died from breast cancer two weeks shy of her 78th birthday, having been diagnosed more than six year prior, but she kept her diagnosis a secret from almost everyone.
She only informed Joan, 88, two weeks before she died, but Joan explains she does not begrudge her sister for this, as she simply did not want any pity.
“I think in that respect she did the right thing because she did not want pity. It is a similar thing that daddy did with mummy when she had cancer,” explained Joan.
“But I think she did the wrong thing because I had been telling her for years that you have to go and have a mammogram, and she didn’t, and she had something and she didn’t do anything about it.
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“Finally, she was dragged there by Tiffany her daughter and that is when he said, ‘You have got stage four cancer.'”
Joan continued: “She told me in the south of France. She called and she said, “I just want to tell you something… I don’t want you to get upset.
“And she said, ‘I’ve got stage four cancer,’ and I said, ‘How is that possible?’
“I know you can do so much these days, so I didn’t really worry about it too much, because I really thought… My motto was, ‘Always look on the bright side.’
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During the tell-all interview, Joan also opened up on her decision to have an abortion while she was building on her career aged 26 and in engaged to Warren Beauty.
Abortions were illegal at the time, but Joan says she knew it would have been “the death of her career” if she had not done it, and added she knows it was the right decision.
“Of course I hesitated but I realised that if I was going to have a child I was going to be able to bring the child up properly and I believed very strongly that I’m in charge of my body,” she explained.
(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
“I was a feminist before the word was heard and I shall do what I felt was right for me. It would have been wrong to have done that.
“It would have ruined my life… it would have ruined my life.”
Questioned if she had a “tinge of regret” over the choice, Dame Joan replied: “No, not one.”
* Piers Morgan’s Life Stories with Dame Joan Collins airs Sunday night on ITV at 9pm
Originally from https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/dame-joan-collins-praises-sister-24359995