Loni Anderson, star of TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, dies after prolonged illness

Loni Anderson, the TV star who featured in sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, has died on Sunday. Anderson had famously played Jennifer Marlowe in the series. Anderson passed away in Los Angeles after prolonged illness. She was only days away from turning 80.

Her family announced the news of her death in a statement: "We are saddened to announce the loss of our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother." Anderson’s longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, said the actress died in a local hospital in LA.

Who was Loni Anderson?

Born on August 5, 1945, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Loni Anderson started her acting career with a small role in the 1966 film Nevada Smith.

She became a star in the late 1970s after she played Jennifer Marlowe - a smart, sassy receptionist of a failing Ohio radio station in WKRP in Cincinnati. Airing from 1978 to 1982, WKRP in Cincinnati became a hit for its mix of comedy, music and memorable characters including the one Anderson played.

Her character's grace, wit, and professionalism set her apart as an actress on the show, which also featured Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Tim Reid, and Jan Smithers. Anderson’s role earned her two Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods.

Off-screen, Anderson became famous for her celebrity romance with actor Burt Reynolds. The two co-starred in the 1983 movie Stroker Ace and married shortly after. Their relationship, often in the tabloids, ended in a messy divorce in 1994. The couple had a son, Quinton Reynolds, whom Anderson has referred to as "the best decision that we ever made in our entire relationship."

She spoke about her marriage in detail in her 1995 memoir My Life in High Heels, an open book about her life as a woman in Hollywood.

Anderson also appeared in Police Woman, S.W.A.T., Easy Street, and various TV movies. In 2023, she was featured in Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas.