US actress Loni Anderson: Ex-wife of Burt Reynolds is dead

Loni Anderson (1945-2025) is dead. The American actress, who was famous on August 3, and thus just two days before her 80th birthday in a hospital in Los Angeles due to her role as a blond receptionist Jennifer Marlowe in the CBS-sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. . Anderson died after “longer illness”. “We are insertable to have to announce the death of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” said Anderson’s family in a statement.

As the “People” magazine reports, Anderson gained world fame through her parade role as Jennifer Marlowe in “WKRP in Cincinnati”, a comedy series about the chaotic staff of a radio station in Ohio. From 1978 to 1982 she embodied the quick -witted and attractive receptionist for four seasons, which was surprisingly intelligent behind her glamorous facade.

Anderson received three Golden Globe nominations and two Emmy nominations for this role. The series made them a sex symbol of the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 2021 she looked back at this time: “I never thought that I would become Loni Anderson, the sex symbol. But I accept it. I was lucky enough to be able to play so many different things, and sex symbol was part of it.”

After the success of “WKRP”, Anderson played in 1983 in the racing driver comedy “Stroker Ace” alongside Burt Reynolds (1936-2018). The two fell in love during the filming, and the canvas romance became one of the most famous Hollywood relationships of the 1980s.

In 1988 Anderson and Reynolds married in a strictly secret ceremony on Reynolds’ Ranch in Jupiter, Florida. “I’m a very happy man,” said Reynolds at the wedding ceremony at the time. “I am surrounded by love and dear friends and I got my best friend today.” Anderson added: “I feel like Cinderella. I married Prince Charming.” The couple later adopted a son, Quinton (36).

However, the fairy tale romance ended in a bitter divorce in 1994. In retrospect, Reynolds described the marriage in 2015 as “really stupid move”. In his autobiography “But Enough About Me” he wrote about Anderson: “She bought everything triple, from everyday dresses to jewelry, porcelain and bed linen. ‘I never wear a dress after it has been photographed,’ she said. ‘I have to dress like a star.'”

Anderson, however, accused Reynolds of domestic violence. She claimed that he had physically abused her at least a dozen times while he was supposed to be under the influence of drugs. “Burt always said that nobody would ever believe me because he was Mr. Wonderful and the world loved him,” she said at the time.

It was not until 2015 that Reynolds ended the financial disputes with a check for $ 154,520 ,.

Despite all the quarrels: “Burt was a wonderful director and actor. He was a large part of my life for 12 years and Quinton’s father for 30 years.”

After “WKRP”, Anderson was seen in various TV series, including “Nurses”, “Sabrina – Total!” And “VIP” in 2006 she played Tori Spellings (52) mother in the series “So Notorious”. In 1995 she published her autobiography “My Life in Heels”, in which she described her relationship with Reynolds and her fights for family cohesion in detail.

Anderson was married four times. In 1964 she married Bruce Hasselberg, with whom she got a daughter, Deirdra. After the divorce in 1966, the marriage followed with actor Ross Bickell (78), then Reynolds and finally musician Bob Flick in 2008. Loni Anderson leaves her husband Bob Flick and two children.