
Hollywood is in mourning after the death of the legendary Loni Anderson. She passed away on Sunday, two days before what would have been her 80th birthday. Now, sad new details about Anderson’s passing are coming to light.
Anderson Passes Away At 79
Anderson’s death was confirmed by her longtime publicist Cheryl J. Kagan, who told The Associated Press that the former WKRP in Cincinnati star died at a Los Angeles hospital after a “prolonged illness.” At the time of this writing, the specific illness has not been revealed.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” Anderson’s family told Fox News.
Anderson would have turned 80 on Tuesday, August 5.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1945, Anderson dreamed of becoming an actress from the time she was a small child. She moved to Los Angeles in 1975, and she quickly began building a career in Hollywood.
Anderson’s big break came when she was cast as the bubbly receptionist Jennifer Marlowe inWKRP in Cincinnati, which ran from 1978 until 1982. Marlowe was a fiercely intelligent character whose efficiency often kept the station running despite the incompetence of her coworkers.
Anderson earned two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations for her work on the show. The sitcom also cemented Anderson as a sex symbol, much to her surprise.
Related: Loni Anderson Honors Former ‘WKRP’ Co-Star Howard Hesseman
Anderson’s Sex Symbol Status
“I remember we all did posters back then. Everybody always asks me, ‘What made you do a poster?’ I would say, ‘Because someday my grandchildren will look at this. And I’ll be able to tell them that I really looked like that.’ What you saw is what you got,” Anderson told Fox News in 2021.
“But you know, I had this discussion with Ann-Margret. Will there ever be a time when our names won’t be followed by ‘bombshell’ or ‘sex symbol?’ It becomes a part of your name,” she continued. “And you know, I’d never thought I would reach that point. I was so serious, I was doing Fiddler on the Roof for 53 weeks on tour.”
“I never thought I would be Loni Anderson, sex symbol. But I embrace it,” Anderson admitted. “I think I was lucky enough to have been able to play so many different things and sex symbol was a part of it. I took whatever my career threw at me. So I embrace it. And my granddaughters think it’s a hoot!”
Anderson’s Burt Reynolds Romance
After WKRP in Cincinnati ended, Anderson starred in the 1982 movie Stroker Ace alongside the legendary Burt Reynolds. The two stars ended up falling in love and getting married in 1988. That same year, they adopted their son Quinton Anderson Reynolds.
Sadly, Anderson and Reynolds went on to divorce in 1994. They thankfully made peace before Reynolds died of a heart attack in 2018 at the age of 82.
“We were friends first and friends last,” Anderson told Closer Weekly in 2019. “It’s time to move on.”
Related: Loni Anderson Confirms Burt Reynolds And Princess Diana Rumor
Reynolds was Anderson’s third husband after her first two marriages ended in divorce. In 2008, she married Bob Flick, a founding member of the 1960’s folk group The Brothers Four. Flick survives her, as does Quinton and a daughter Deirdra Hoffman from a previous marriage.
“Loni was a class act. Beautiful. Talented. Witty. ALWAYS a joy to be around,” said Steve Sauer, President/CEO Media Four and Anderson’s manager for 30 years. “She was the ultimate working mother. Family first…and maintained a great balance with her career. She and I had wonderful adventures together that I shall forever cherish. I will especially miss that infectious chuckle of hers. She will be forever missed.”
A private family service for Anderson will be held at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery. This will be followed by A Celebration of Life at a future date.
Rest in peace, Loni Anderson.
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