Loni Anderson, the iconic blonde bombshell who lit up television screens in the late 1970s and 1980s, has died just days before what would have been her 80th birthday. The former WKRP in Cincinnati star passed away at a hospital in Los Angeles following a “prolonged” illness, her longtime publicist Cheryl J Kagan confirmed.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” her family said in a statement.
Anderson, best known for her role as the smart and stylish receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati, became a trailblazing figure on television. The series, which ran from 1978 to 1982, portrayed a struggling Ohio radio station trying to reinvent itself with rock music. Though the show suffered in the ratings, it gained a devoted fan base and Anderson’s performance earned her two Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods.
Her character – blonde, glamorous but never a punchline – was widely credited for flipping the stereotype of the “dumb blonde” on its head. Behind the desk in heels and silk blouses, Jennifer kept the station running, fielding calls and egos with quiet brilliance and impeccable comedic timing.
Born on August 5, 1945, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Anderson was the daughter of a model and an environmental chemist. Her screen career began modestly with a role in Nevada Smith (1966) opposite Steve McQueen, but her big break came more than a decade later when she was cast on WKRP.
She later starred in The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980), opposite a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, a film which became infamous as one of the “100 most enjoyable bad movies ever made”, and found cult status with its inclusion in The Official Razzie Movie Guide.
Off-screen, Anderson’s personal life drew almost as much attention as her work. Her marriage to movie star Burt Reynolds made the pair tabloid fixtures in the 1980s. They co-starred in the 1983 comedy Stroker Ace and wed the following year. Though their relationship was tumultuous and ended in divorce in 1994, Anderson always spoke of their adopted son, Quinton Reynolds, as their greatest shared legacy.
“The best decision that we ever made in our entire relationship,” she said at the 2021 unveiling of Reynolds’ bronze bust in Hollywood.
She opened up about the ups and downs of her life in her 1995 memoir My Life in High Heels, which she described as “the growth of a woman, a woman who survives”.
Anderson remained active into her later years, most recently co-starring in Lifetime’s Ladies Of The 80s: A Divas Christmas in 2023 alongside Linda Gray, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild and Nicollette Sheridan.
Fairchild was among the first to pay tribute, writing on X: “I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of the wonderful Loni Anderson! The sweetest, most gracious lady! I’m just devastated to hear this.”
Anderson was married four times, most recently to musician Bob Flick in 2008. She is survived by Flick, her 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.
A private service will be held at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, according to her publicist.
Images: Instagram
