Hollywood loves a good "catfight." In the 1980s, the media worked overtime trying to pit Linda Evans and Bo Derek against each other in a battle for the title of the world’s most beautiful woman. On one side, you had Linda, the soulful, shoulder-padded heart of Dynasty. On the other, Bo, the braided "10" who became an instant global icon.
But there was a darker, messier layer to their connection that most people forget. It wasn't just about magazine covers. It was about a man.
John Derek, a director with a very specific "type," was the common denominator. He was married to Linda when he fell for a teenage Bo (then Mary Cathleen Collins). It was a scandal that should have fueled a lifelong feud. Instead, the way these two women handled the fallout is probably the most "un-Hollywood" thing to ever happen in Tinseltown.
The Scandal That Could Have Destroyed Everything
Let’s be real: the optics were terrible. In 1973, John Derek was 46. Linda Evans was 30. Bo was just 16.
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When John met Bo on a film set in Greece, he didn't just have a mid-life crisis; he essentially dismantled his life with Linda to be with a girl who wasn't even legally an adult in the States. To avoid legal trouble, John and Bo stayed in Europe until she turned 18. Honestly, it’s the kind of story that would be "canceled" in ten seconds today.
Linda was devastated. She has since admitted that the breakup was "horrible" and made her feel like her world was ending. You've got to imagine the pain of being replaced by a teenager while the whole world watched.
Why Linda Evans Actually Thanks Bo Derek
Here is the twist nobody saw coming. Linda doesn't hate Bo. In fact, she’s gone on record saying that Bo "saved" her.
How? Well, John Derek was notoriously controlling. He didn't want Linda to work. He wanted her at home, being his muse and his wife. If she had stayed married to him, the character of Krystle Carrington would never have happened.
"If I had stayed married to John, I could never have done Dynasty," Linda once told People.
When John left, Linda was forced to restart her career from scratch. Her agent told her she’d been gone too long and everyone had forgotten her. She pushed back, got the role of a lifetime, and became one of the biggest stars of the decade.
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The Weird, Wonderful Friendship of the "Ex-Wives Club"
If you think they avoided each other at parties, think again. The "Derek Women"—a group that includes Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, and Bo Derek—eventually formed a bizarrely tight bond.
It’s almost like they shared a "survivor" bond. They all understood what it was like to be under John’s intense, Svengali-like influence. John was famous for "molding" his wives, often changing their hair, their look, and even their career paths.
- Ursula Andress (the original Bond girl) stayed close with Linda.
- Bo Derek has expressed deep regret over the years for the pain she caused Linda.
- Linda Evans eventually realized that Bo was just a kid who didn't know any better at the time.
Linda even appeared in a documentary about Bo's life, speaking fondly of her. They’ve been photographed together, laughing and chatting like old friends. It’s a level of maturity that most people—let alone celebrities—never reach.
Bo Derek and the Burden of the "10"
While Linda was ruling the airwaves on Dynasty, Bo was dealing with her own kind of prison. Being labeled a "10" after her breakout movie with Dudley Moore was a blessing and a curse.
She became the standard for beauty, but she was also stuck in movies directed by her husband that were... well, mostly panned by critics. Films like Tarzan, the Ape Man and Bolero focused almost entirely on her physicality.
By the time the 90s rolled around, both women were moving in different directions. Linda started leaning into spirituality and wellness, eventually moving to a quiet life in Washington state. Bo became an activist for animal rights and veterans' causes.
What We Can Learn From the Linda-Bo Dynamic
The media spent years trying to make us pick a side. Are you a Linda or a Bo? Is Krystle Carrington better than the girl in the cornrows?
The truth is, both women were navigating a Hollywood system that viewed them as objects to be managed by men. Their decision to be friends isn't just a fun piece of trivia; it’s a masterclass in reclaiming your own narrative.
Moving Past the Drama: Actionable Takeaways
If you find yourself stuck in a "rivalry" or dealing with the fallout of a messy relationship, take a page out of the Linda Evans playbook:
- Reframing the Loss: Linda stopped seeing the divorce as a failure and started seeing it as the "best thing" that ever happened to her because it gave her back her career.
- Radical Forgiveness: Forgiving the "other woman" isn't about the other person; it's about clearing your own heart of bitterness so you can move on.
- Find Your Tribe: Instead of seeing other women as competition, see them as the only people who truly understand what you're going through.
Today, Linda Evans is in her 80s and Bo Derek is in her late 60s (and happily married to Sex and the City star John Corbett). They aren't defined by the man they shared or the "rivalry" the tabloids invented. They’re just two women who survived the Hollywood machine and came out the other side with their dignity—and their friendship—intact.
Next Step: To see more of this era's history, look up Linda Evans’ interviews from the late 80s where she discusses her transition from Hollywood star to her life in the Pacific Northwest. It's a great blueprint for anyone looking to "reset" their life after a major career peak.