ENTERTAINMENT NEWS – Loni Anderson, star of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ dies at 79

Ananya Roy, News Writer

Actress Loni Anderson, best known for her role as the confident and sharp-witted receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the hit sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, died Sunday in Los Angeles following a prolonged illness. She was 79, just days shy of her 80th birthday. Her family confirmed the news in a statement, calling her a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. Anderson earned two Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods for her role on WKRP, which aired from 1978 to 1982.

Anderson’s career spanned decades, with roles in both film and television. She co-starred with then-husband Burt Reynolds in Stroker Ace and later chronicled their high-profile relationship and divorce in her memoir My Life in High Heels. More recently, she appeared in Lifetime’s Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas. Colleagues including Barbara Eden and Morgan Fairchild shared tributes, remembering her as gracious, talented, and endlessly professional.

Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1945, Anderson began her acting career in the 1966 film Nevada Smith and went on to appear in shows like S.W.A.T. and Police Woman. She is survived by her husband Bob Flick, children Deidra and Quinton, and several grandchildren and step-grandchildren. A private family service will be held at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.