Loni Anderson, the blonde bombshell who lit up TV screens as Jennifer Marlowe on the hit sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, has died at the age of 79. Known for her sharp wit and glamorous looks, Anderson also made headlines for her whirlwind romance and rocky divorce from Hollywood star Burt Reynolds.
The actress passed away on Sunday in Los Angeles at noon, following what her publicist described as “an acute prolonged illness.” Her death was confirmed by longtime representative Cheryl J. Kagan.
The Role That Made Her Famous
Anderson skyrocketed to fame in 1978 as Jennifer, the savvy and stunning receptionist on WKRP in Cincinnati. Originally hesitant to take the role, she told creator Hugh Wilson that she didn’t want to be “just window dressing.” Instead, she pitched a smarter version of the character — a blonde who outsmarts everyone in the room.
Wilson loved the idea. Jennifer became one of the most iconic TV characters of the era, and Anderson stayed with the show for nearly all of its 90 episodes until it ended in 1982. Her performance earned her two Emmy nominations in 1980 and 1981, though she lost to MASH*’s Loretta Swit and Private Benjamin’s Eileen Brennan.
A Career Beyond Sitcoms
Outside of WKRP, Anderson made a name for herself in dramatic roles too. She portrayed classic Hollywood stars like Jayne Mansfield in 1980’s The Jayne Mansfield Story (opposite a young Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Thelma Todd in 1991’s White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd.
She also led several remakes of old Hollywood films for television between 1988 and 1990, including Leave Her to Heaven and Sorry, Wrong Number.
Her Fairytale Wedding and Public Divorce
Anderson’s personal life became tabloid fodder when she married Burt Reynolds in 1988. The two had met on The Merv Griffin Show in 1981 and tied the knot years later at Reynolds’ ranch in Florida. The wedding was a grand affair, with Reynolds gifting Anderson a 7-carat canary yellow diamond ring.
At the time, they seemed like the perfect Hollywood couple. But their relationship fell apart in the early 1990s, with Reynolds accusing Anderson of cheating and being an unfit mother to their adopted son Quinton. Anderson hit back, claiming he had substance abuse issues and had been abusive.
The divorce turned nasty and highly public, dominating headlines for months. It was finalized in 1994, and Reynolds filed for bankruptcy two years later. Their financial battles finally ended in 2015 when Reynolds paid her $154,520.
A Life Before and After Fame
Born Loni Kaye Anderson on August 5, 1945, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she was the daughter of a chemist father and a model mother. Naturally brunette, she originally loved playing darker characters but eventually dyed her hair platinum blonde to land more roles in Hollywood.
After finishing as a runner-up in the Miss Minnesota pageant in 1964, Anderson briefly married Bruce Hasselberg, with whom she had a daughter, Deidra. She later moved to Los Angeles in the mid-70s with her second husband, Ross Bickell, and began booking roles on TV shows like S.W.A.T., Barnaby Jones, and The Bob Newhart Show.
Though she missed out on the role of Chrissy Snow in Three’s Company, producers found her too glamorous for the part. But that look would help her land the career-defining role on WKRP.
More Than Just Jennifer
Anderson’s career after WKRP was filled with TV roles, including parts in Melrose Place, So Notorious, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Mullets, Clueless, and even the cult film A Night at the Roxbury. She voiced characters in All Dogs Go to Heaven with Reynolds and appeared in his short-lived series B.L. Stryker.
She almost joined Designing Women after Delta Burke left but turned it down. She also made a short return as Jennifer in The New WKRP in Cincinnati and was featured in the final season of NBC’s Nurses.
In 2008, she married her fourth husband, Bob Flick of the folk group The Brothers Four. The couple first met more than four decades earlier and reconnected later in life.
A Legacy That Lives On
Anderson is survived by her husband Bob, daughter Deidra, son Quinton, grandchildren Megan and McKenzie, stepson Adam, and step-grandchildren Felix and Maximilian.
A private family service will be held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with a public celebration of life scheduled later.
Donations in her memory can be made to the National Lung Health Education Program or the American Cancer Society.
“Loni was a class act. Beautiful. Talented. Witty. ALWAYS a joy to be around,” said Steve Sauer, her manager of 30 years. “She was the ultimate working mother. Family first. I will especially miss that infectious chuckle of hers.”
