Loni Anderson, the former *WKRP in Cincinnati* star and ex-wife of Burt Reynolds, has died at the age of 79. The news was announced just days before her 80th birthday.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” Anderson’s family said in a statement to the *Associated Press* on Sunday, August 3rd. According to her longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital due to a “prolonged” illness.
Anderson’s career spanned decades, beginning with her appearances on *The Merv Griffin Show* where she first met Burt Reynolds in 1981, then married in 1988 on Reynolds’ sprawling Florida ranch. The couple shared a son, Quinton Reynolds, whom Anderson described as “the best decision that we ever made in our entire relationship.” Reynolds sadly passed away in 2018 after a heart attack at the age of 82.
Beyond her marriage to Reynolds, Anderson was a celebrated television actress, earning two Emmy nominations for her role in *WKRP in Cincinnati*. She also appeared in films like *Easy Street*, *A Letter to Three Wives*, *White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd*, and starred in Lifetime’s *Ladies Of The 80s: A Divas Christmas* alongside Linda Gray, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild and Nicollette Sheridan.
In her 1995 autobiography, *My Life in High Heels*, Anderson reflected on her tumultuous marriage and subsequent divorce, stating, “If you’re going to write about yourself, you have to do it warts and all.”
Anderson is survived by her daughter Diedra, shared with her ex-husband Bruce Hasselberg, her son Quinton, her fourth husband, Bob Flick, as well as her grandchildren and step-grandchildren. Morgan Fairchild expressed her grief on X, stating, “I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of the wonderful Londi Anderson! The sweetest, most gracious lady! I’m just devastated to hear this.”