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last mo.

Loni Anderson, Beloved ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ Star, Dies at 79

Her death after a prolonged illness prompted an outpouring of tributes highlighting her groundbreaking role on WKRP in Cincinnati.

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FILE - Burt Reynolds, right, holds hands with Loni Anderson at a luncheon, March 27, 1987, in Los Angeles.
Loni Anderson arrives at the 17th Costume Designers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 17, 2015, in Beverly Hill. The “WKRP in Cincinnati” actress died Sunday at a Los Angeles hospital after a “prolonged illness.”
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Overview

  • Loni Anderson died on August 3 at age 79 in a Los Angeles hospital following a prolonged illness, her publicist Cheryl J. Kagan and her family confirmed.
  • Her death, arriving just days before what would have been her 80th birthday on August 5, has prompted tributes from co-stars and fans honoring her warmth and professionalism.
  • She broke out as Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 to 1982, redefining the ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype and earning two Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations.
  • Over four decades, Anderson appeared in films, TV movies and series, published her memoir My Life in High Heels in 1995 and made her final screen appearance in 2023’s Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas.
  • She is survived by her husband, musician Bob Flick; her daughter, Deidra; her son, Quinton Anderson Reynolds; two grandchildren; a stepson; and two step-grandchildren.