Beloved Actress Loni Anderson Dies in Los Angeles at 79 Following a Prolonged Illness

best remembered for her role as Jennifer Marlowe on sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Loni Anderson, best remembered for her role as the glamorous receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the hit sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, has passed away at the age of 79.

According to her longtime publicist Cheryl J. Kagan, Anderson died in a Los Angeles hospital following a prolonged illness. Her devoted family surrounded her at the time of her passing.

“We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother has passed away,” her family said in a heartfelt statement.

Throughout a career spanning more than 40 years, Anderson appeared in numerous television series and movies, including Three’s Company, The Bob Newhart Show, SWAT, The Incredible Hulk, The Love Boat, and many others.

Born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, Anderson had dreamed of acting since childhood. She moved to Los Angeles in 1975 and quickly began securing roles in television. In 1978, she gained widespread fame as Jennifer Marlowe, a character that helped define her career and earned her three Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations.

Anderson embraced the attention that came with being a sex symbol, often reflecting on the era with humor and pride. “I used to say, ‘One day, my grandkids will see that poster and know I really looked like that,’” she said in a 2021 interview. “I never imagined I’d become Loni Anderson, the sex symbol—but I embraced it and all the opportunities it brought.”

In 1982, she starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the comedy Stroker Ace. The two married in 1988 and adopted a son, Quinton, that same year. Though their marriage ended in 1994, Anderson later shared that they found peace in their relationship before Reynolds died in 2018, united by their shared commitment to co-parenting.

“We were friends first and friends last,” she said in a 2019 interview. “We put aside the past for the sake of our son. He was always our priority.”

Beyond television and film, Anderson was active in musical theater and became a best-selling author with her 1995 memoir, My Life in High Heels.

Steve Sauer, Anderson’s longtime manager and friend, paid tribute to her in a statement: “Loni was a class act—radiantly beautiful, gifted, sharp, and always a delight. She balanced motherhood and career with remarkable grace. I’ll miss her laugh most of all. She leaves behind a legacy of love and talent.”

In 2008, Anderson married Bob Flick, a founding member of the 1960s folk band The Brothers Four.

Her husband survives her; daughter Deidra and 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.

A private family service will be held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with a public celebration of life planned for a future date.

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