Joan Collins Dated Elizabeth Taylor's Abusive First Husband Conrad 'Nicky' Hilton Jr.: 'It Was Quite Volatile'

Mar. 15, 2025

Joan Collins (left) and Elizabeth Taylor in 1984.Photo:Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Joan Collinsspent much of her early Hollywood career being compared toElizabeth Taylor. The two actresses, just a little more than a year apart in age, were both beautiful and talented London-born brunettes. They also had something else in common: Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr.

The hotel heir was Taylor’s abusive first husband — the one she said oncekicked her in the stomach, causing her to miscarry their child. Collins, 91, appears in episode 1 of the new three-part BBC documentary seriesElizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar, whichtakes a close look at Taylor’s relationship with Hilton.

Asked if she herself ever dated Hilton, the formerDynastystar responds: “I did. He was nuts. It was quite volatile. Once we were lying in bed, and he took out this gun from the side table and shot it to the ceiling. Nicky Hilton had a problem with being too good-looking and too rich, and I don’t think he got a lot of love from his father.”

Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr. and Joan Collins in 1957.Bruce Bailey/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Bruce Bailey/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Taylor and Hilton married in 1950 when Taylor was only 18, but their wedded bliss didn’t last long. “I was a bit of a punching bag," Taylor says in a voiceover in episode 1. “And that’s when the reality of the world hit me. The reality that I was not an adult, and I had to really grow up fast.”

Early in the first episode, Collins says she looked up to Taylor, although they were “teenagers at the same time.” She recalls: “My friends and I, we all wanted to look like her. We all did big eyebrows like her. But I know that she had a difficult time.”

These Old Broads stars (from left): Joan Collins, Shirley MacLaine, Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds.Timothy White/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Timothy White/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

After divorcing Hilton in 1951, Taylor would go on to marry seven more times, including twice to esteemed British actorRichard Burton, whom she met on the set of the 1963 flopCleopatra. Both of their marriages ended in divorce.

Joan Collins and Warren Beatty in 1959.Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Collins, who famously datedWarren Beattyin the late 1950s before he became a major movie star, has been married to her fifth husband,Percy Gibson, since 2002.

She also talked about what made them click almost immediately. “We found we had a lot in common,” she said. “We like the same things. We like doing the same things.”

Percy Gibson and Joan Collins in 2021.Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

“We both adored the theater, and particularly musical theater. We love reading. We love playing cards or playing Scrabble. Neither of us are particularly outdoor people. You know, he doesn’t go running out to football games. And we love going to the theater and films and we just got along.”

In addition to Collins and Hamilton,Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstarfeatures interviews withKim Kardashian,Sharon Stone, Taylor’s granddaughter Naomi Wilding andParis Jackson,Michael Jackson’s daughter and Taylor’s goddaughter.

Episodes 2 and 3 ofElizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstarwill air on BBC on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11, respectively.

source: people.com