Loni Anderson, the WKRP in Cincinnati star who earned two Emmy nominations for playing “the smartest person in the room” on the CBS sitcom, died in Los Angeles at noon from what her publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, described as “an acute prolonged illness.” She was 79.
Her passing came just two days before what would have been her 80th birthday on August 5, 2025.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” Anderson’s family said in a statement.
Born on August 5, 1945, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Anderson was the daughter of Klaydon, an environmental chemist, and Maxine, a model. She graduated from Alexander Ramsey Senior High School in Roseville in 1963 and later went on to study art at the University of Minnesota, where the future star was also named runner-up in the 1964 Miss Minnesota pageant.
Throughout her decades-long career, Anderson appeared in dozens of films, television movies, and series. Her film credits include Stroker Ace (1983)—which earned her a Golden Raspberry for Worst Actress—3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998), and more.
She also starred in numerous TV films such as The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980) and White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd (1991). And her final on-screen role came in Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas (2023), where the actress appeared alongside Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, and Nicollette Sheridan.
Her television resume extended well beyond WKRP in Cincinnati, with roles in Easy Street, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, The Mullets, and others.
In addition to her acting career, Anderson made headlines for her personal life, including multiple marriages. Her relationship with her third husband, Burt Reynolds, in particular, was often rocky and highly publicized. The two adopted a son, Quinton Anderson Reynolds, in 1988. She also had a daughter, Deidra, from her first marriage to Bruce Hasselberg.
Up next, we look at the illness Loni Anderson battled before her death—and the details of her final goodbye.
Loni Anderson’s Illness and Health Struggles
Anderson was diagnosed with a prolonged illness, which ultimately led to her death at the age of 79.
According to her longtime publicist, Kagan, Anderson remained committed to her work throughout her illness. “While facing her diagnosis with determination, she continued working,” Kagan said in a statement.
Although the exact nature of her illness wasn’t publicly disclosed, she had long been vocal about COPD awareness, driven by her experience caring for both of her parents, who suffered from chronic bronchitis and emphysema and eventually died from the disease.
She once reflected on the difficulty of watching them struggle to breathe while still clinging to cigarettes. “My mom would say, ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,’ and my dad said, ‘I feel like I’m drowning,’” she recalled to Future of Personal Health. “And yet, you want another cigarette. That was really shocking to me.”
Anderson, who never smoked herself, admitted it was hard to fully understand the grip of addiction but recognized that many compare quitting smoking to quitting heroin. “It’s hard for me to relate to,” she said. “I just saw how they were suffering.”
Funeral Arrangements
While the exact date of Loni Anderson’s funeral was not publicly disclosed, a private family service is set to take place at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. A separate celebration of life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory can be made to the National Lung Health Education Program or the American Cancer Society.
