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Loni Anderson, the glamorous TV icon who lit up screens as Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati<\/em>, has died. She was 79.<\/p>\n The actress passed away in Los Angeles following a \u201cprolonged\u201d illness, her longtime publicist confirmed. Anderson would have turned 80 on Aug. 5.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,\u201d her family shared in a statement to the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n Anderson may not have been a country artist, but she earned a place in the hearts of country fans as the brains and beauty behind the front desk at fictional WKRP.<\/p>\n The cult-favorite CBS sitcom followed the chaotic staff of a struggling radio station in Ohio, and ran for four seasons from 1978 to 1982.<\/p>\n Anderson\u2019s performance as the smart, stylish, and sharp-tongued Jennifer Marlowe earned her three Golden Globe nominations and two Emmys.<\/p>\n In a 2021 interview with Fox News, she reflected on her iconic status.<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought I would be Loni Anderson, sex symbol. But I embrace it,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd my granddaughters think it\u2019s a hoot!\u201d<\/p>\n In 1983, Anderson starred in the race car comedy Stroker Ace<\/em>, where she met Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds.<\/p>\n The pair quickly became one of the most talked-about couples of the era, tying the knot in a secret ceremony at Reynolds\u2019 Florida ranch in 1988.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Carly Pearce\u2019s Final Words to Jeannie Seely Will Break \u2014 and Heal \u2014 Your Country Heart<\/a><\/p>\n Their whirlwind romance ended in a highly publicized divorce in 1994.<\/p>\n Anderson later made memorable appearances on hit shows like Nurses<\/em>, Sabrina the Teenage Witch<\/em>, V.I.P.<\/em>, and So noTORIous<\/em>, where she played Tori Spelling\u2019s mom.<\/p>\n The St. Paul, Minn., native was married four times. She wed Bruce Hasselberg in 1964, and they shared a daughter, Deidra.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Joel Osteen Honors the Life and Legacy of His Mother Dolores After Her Death at 91<\/a><\/p>\n After divorces from actor Ross Bickell and Reynolds, she married musician Bob Flick in 2008.<\/p>\n Her husband and two children survive Anderson.<\/p>\n We’re not even six months into 2025, and already country music has suffered some devastating losses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCountry\u2019s Favorite Radio Secretary<\/h3>\n
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