Joan Collins, well-known for her iconic roles, shares a marriage with Percy Gibson, who is 32 years her junior. Despite the significant age difference, Collins remains unfazed. She often jokes about their age gap and insists it doesn’t impact their relationship at all. Having been together for over 20 years, it seems their bond is as strong as ever.
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The couple began dating in early 2000, with Collins in her late 60s and Gibson in his mid-30s. They announced their engagement in December 2001. The considerable age difference did raise some eyebrows initially, but Collins was quick to dismiss any concerns. In an interview with Hello!, she stated, “I’ve always felt age shouldn’t be a chronological issue but more a question of physicality and attitude. … I know that I look and act a lot younger than I am.” She added, “The problem, it seems to me, is with those people who can’t accept it.”
Collins and Gibson started seeing each other in early 2000, when she was in her late 60s and he in his mid-30s, and they announced their engagement in December 2001. Understandably, the fact that there were three decades between them raised eyebrows, but from the get-go, Collins made it clear she and her partner weren’t bothered by it. Speaking to Hello!, she pointed out, “I’ve always felt age shouldn’t be a chronological issue but more a question of physicality and attitude. … I know that I look and act a lot younger than I am.” She concluded with the parting shot, “The problem, it seems to me, is with those people who can’t accept it.” Slow clap.
Unfortunately for Collins and Gibson, that didn’t quite shut down the haters, and she has had to address it several more times over the years. That said, she’s had a good sense of humor about it. For one, after marrying Gibson in February 2002, she poked fun at the likelihood of one of them outliving the other. “If he dies, he dies,” she was quoted by Hello! as saying. Many years later, in a 2016 appearance on “Loose Women,” she also joked about her switcheroo from her first marriage, which also had an extensive age gap, albeit the other way around. “I got married when I was 18 and he was 33, and then the second one, I was 27 and he was 30, and then it’s gradually gone … down,” she laughed.
Regarding the success of her fifth marriage compared to her previous ones, the “Dynasty” star often emphasizes the importance of spending ample time together. “We’re together all the time, because you know, he works at home, and I work at home, but we have our space (and separate bathrooms),” she shared on “Loose Women” in 2015. In a 2016 interview, she reiterated, “I think it’s very important not to be separated too much, I really do. I think a week is maximum, and I’ve been on a lot of locations and a lot of tours, and I’ve seen what happens with different married people.”
Joan’s marriage to Percy has been her longest
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As for the age difference, Collins has always asserted that their shared energy levels negate any issues. Furthermore, she noted that the gossip about their age gap has largely subsided in the UK. “They don’t do it in England anymore because everybody knows how happy we are together,” she told People in 2023. Their happiness is evident, and it’s truly delightful to see!
As for what has made Collins’ fifth marriage so much more successful than any of her previous ones, the “Dynasty” star has regularly spoken about spending as much time together as possible. “We’re together all the time, because you know, he works at home, and I work at home, but we have our space (and separate bathrooms),” she said on “Loose Women” in 2015. She reiterated that in the 2016 interview, explaining, “I think it’s very important not to be separated too much, I really do. I think a week is maximum, and I’ve been on a lot of locations and a lot of tours, and I’ve seen what happens with different married people.’”
Back to the age factor, Collins has long maintained that because they both have a lot of energy, it’s not a problem for them. What’s more, she said much of the chatter has died down in the U.K. “They don’t do it in England anymore because everybody knows how happy we are together,” she told People in 2023. Love it for them!