Joan Collins pays tribute to her late ‘brave baby sister’

Joan Collins paid tribute to her “beautiful brave baby sister” Jackie who died after a secret battle with cancer.

Jackie, who sold more than 500m novels in more than 40 countries in her four decades-long career as a writer of raunchy female fiction, died of breast cancer. She was 77.

Despite being diagnosed six-and-a-half years ago the British author, who lived in Beverley Hills, told few people about her illness, saying she did not want to “burden” others with it.

Joan, who only found out in the last fortnight, posted a picture online of herself and Jackie, writing: “Farewell

to my beautiful brave baby sister. I will love you and miss you forever. Rest in peace.”

The pair, who had been rumoured at times to have a difficult relationship, were pictured together in London just a few days ago while Jackie was on a promotional tour for her new novel The Santangelos.

Joan tweeted: “Lovely evening @thewolseley before sis went back to LaLaLand.”

Jackie’s publicist Melody Korenbrot said the author, a mother of three and grandmother of six, died on Saturday in Los Angeles.

Paying tribute, her family said she had broken new ground for female writers.

“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,” they said in a statement.

Her novels, telling stories of glamour, sex and affairs in Hollywood, include The World Is Full of Married Men, The Love Killers and The World Is Full of Divorced Women.

Her title Hollywood Wives became a New York Times bestseller and was made into a television series starring Farrah Fawcett and Anthony Hopkins.

Jackie spoke to People magazine six days ago for what would be her last interview. She said she had no regrets about keeping the news of her illness private.

“I did it my way, as Frank Sinatra would say,” she said.

Private memorial services will be held for her family in America and the UK.