The much-loved Hollywood novelist Jackie Collins, 77, passed away after a prolonged battle with breast cancer.
Jacqueline Jill "Jackie" Collins, the younger sister of actor Joan Collins, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 19, according to a statement from her family.
"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. 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," stated the Collins family. "She was a true inspiration, a trail blazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words."
Some celebrities such as Larry King took on Twitter to express their condolence.
I'm shocked & saddened by Jackie Collins' passing. She was a true talent, a beautiful being & a dear friend.
— Larry King (@kingsthings) September 20, 2015
Born on Oct. 4, 1937 in London, the British-American author is credited with 32 books all of which have the distinction of making it to The New York Times Best Seller list.
Collins' first book, entitled The World Is Full of Married Men, was released in 1968 and created quite a furor in some countries. The book went on to be banned in South Africa and Australia owing to its supposed racy content and forthrightness regarding extramarital sex.
Some of her popular earlier novels include The Stud and Rock Star which were published in 1969 and 1988, respectively. Collins was synonymous with the genre which explored lascivious angles much prior to the onset of the Fifty Shades of Grey series.
Several of Jackie's works have been adapted for television such as the 2001 bestseller Hollywood Wives: The New Generation which was made into a TV movie in 2003.
In 2007, Collins was reportedly diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer and wrote five books since despite the radiation and lumpectomy. Her last book is The Santangelos which was published last June.
Jackie Collins is supported by Rory, Tiffany and Tracy - her three daughters - and her elder sister Joan.
