Advertisement

Joan Collins opens up about being raped at 17 by her future husband

Joan Collins has opened up about her rape ordeal when she was 17. Photo: Getty Images

Legendary Dynasty actress Joan Collins has spoken on camera for the first time about she was drugged and raped as a virgin by her future husband Maxwell Reed at the age of 17.

The 81-year-old British star shared her emotional confession in a new documentary Brave Miss World, which aims to tackle sexual violence.

At the time, Joan was being tipped for stardom when she was on a date with the now-deceased Irish actor Maxwell, who gave her a rum and coke that she alleges was laced with the date rape drug Rohypnol.

“The next thing I knew, I was out flat on the sofa in that living room and he was raping me,” she recounts.

GALLERY: Hollywood's most iconic swimsuit moments

“He had drugged my drink. It felt so horrible, that I, that I'd done this thing. It wasn’t my fault but I didn’t know. I went out with him. Maybe I shouldn’t have [but] he was a famous star. And after I'd been going out with him for a few months, he asked me to marry him. And I thought, ‘Well I better because he took my virginity.’ I really hated him, but I was so filled with guilt that he had done this thing to me. It took a long time to be able to really trust any man.”

The documentary follows former Israeli Miss World, Linor Abargil, who was raped in 1998, six weeks before she was crowned Miss World, as she travels the globe meeting fellow victims.

Linor has made it her life's mission to encourage other women to speak out.

Subscribe to New Idea and keep up-to-date with all your favourite celebrities, touching real-life stories, delicious recipes and more each week!