Loni Anderson Dies Just Before 80th Birthday/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Loni Anderson, beloved for her role on WKRP in Cincinnati, has died at 79. She passed away in Los Angeles after a prolonged illness. Anderson leaves behind a legacy of humor, glamour, and resilience across decades of TV and film.
Loni Anderson Legacy Quick Looks
- Loni Anderson died just before her 80th birthday
- Best known as Jennifer Marlowe in WKRP in Cincinnati
- Passed away in Los Angeles after a prolonged illness
- Earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role
- Co-starred and married Burt Reynolds; divorced in 1994
- Authored candid autobiography My Life in High Heels
- Recent acting credit: Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas
- Survived by husband Bob Flick, children, and grandchildren
- A private family service will be held at Hollywood Forever
- Remembered as both glamorous icon and strong, outspoken woman
Deep Look: Loni Anderson, ‘WKRP’ Icon and 1980s TV Star, Dies at 79
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Loni Anderson, the television star who lit up screens in the late 1970s and ‘80s with her portrayal of the brainy and beautiful receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati, died Sunday in Los Angeles following a prolonged illness. She was just days shy of her 80th birthday.
Anderson passed away in a Los Angeles hospital, her longtime publicist Cheryl J. Kagan confirmed. “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” her family shared in a statement.
Anderson rose to fame as the glamorous, whip-smart Jennifer on WKRP in Cincinnati, which aired from 1978 to 1982. The sitcom chronicled the chaotic ups and downs of a struggling Ohio radio station that shifted to rock music to revive its fortunes. Her character wasn’t just eye-catching—she was often the only one in the building with any real competence.
Blonde and high-heeled, Jennifer Marlowe defied stereotypes. She managed chaos with poise and used her wit to navigate the incompetence surrounding her. The performance earned Anderson two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nods, cementing her as a breakout icon of late 20th-century television.
From Screen Sensation to Tabloid Fixture
In 1983, Anderson starred alongside action-comedy mainstay Burt Reynolds in the film Stroker Ace. The on-screen partnership spilled into real life with a highly publicized romance and marriage that captivated tabloids for over a decade. The couple’s split in 1994 was marked by drama and media attention, but Anderson always held firm that their shared son, Quinton Reynolds, was the highlight of their relationship.
“He was the best decision that we ever made,” Anderson said in 2021, during a ceremony at Reynolds’ Hollywood gravesite.
Reflecting on their high-profile romance, Anderson once told the Associated Press, “We were a spectacle all the time. And somehow, we did it through many ups and downs.”
An Author and Advocate for Personal Growth
In 1995, she released her autobiography My Life in High Heels, a candid, sometimes raw account of her personal and professional journey. “It’s about the growth of a woman, a woman who survives,” Anderson said. She didn’t shy away from exposing her own flaws, saying, “You may not even tell the nicest things about yourself, because you’re telling the truth.”
Throughout her life, Anderson balanced glamour with groundedness, fame with fortitude. She married four times, most recently to Bob Flick, a founding member of the folk group The Brothers Four, in 2008.
Career Beyond WKRP
Born August 5, 1945, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Anderson was the daughter of a model mother and an environmental chemist father. Her first screen credit came in 1966, in the Steve McQueen film Nevada Smith. Over the next few decades, she built a steady television career, including roles in S.W.A.T., Police Woman, and later in her own short-lived sitcom Easy Street.
She also starred in several made-for-TV movies, including A Letter to Three Wives and White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd.
In 2023, she co-starred in the Lifetime holiday movie Ladies Of The 80s: A Divas Christmas, alongside other classic TV stars like Linda Gray, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild, and Nicollette Sheridan. Following her death, Fairchild posted on X (formerly Twitter): “I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of the wonderful Loni Anderson! The sweetest, most gracious lady!”
Family and Final Days
Anderson is survived by her husband Bob Flick, daughter Deidra, son-in-law Charlie Hoffman, son Quinton Anderson Reynolds, grandchildren McKenzie and Megan Hoffman, stepson Adam Flick and his wife Helene, and step-grandchildren Felix and Maximilian.
Her family has planned a private memorial service at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a fitting resting place for a woman who became an indelible part of American entertainment history.
As one of the most recognizable faces of her era, Loni Anderson leaves behind more than reruns and red carpet memories—she leaves behind a model of resilience, charisma, and timeless charm.
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