Loni Anderson, the actress whose portrayal of the intelligent and glamorous receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” made her a household name and a defining television star of the 1980s, has died. She was 79.
Anderson passed away on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at a Los Angeles hospital following what her longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, described as a “prolonged illness,” according to reports from The Associated Press. Her death came just two days before her 80th birthday. “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” her family said in a statement.
From 1978 to 1982, Anderson charmed audiences on “WKRP in Cincinnati,” a show centered on the quirky staff of a struggling Ohio radio station. As Jennifer Marlowe, Anderson was much more than just the office receptionist; she was often the most capable and clever person in the room, skillfully managing the station’s affairs while deflecting unwanted calls for her boss. The role was a deliberate subversion of the “dumb blonde” stereotype. Anderson told The Hollywood Reporter that she and show creator Hugh Wilson agreed to “make her look like Lana Turner and be the smartest person in the room.” Her performance earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations.
Born Loni Kaye Anderson on August 5, 1945, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she began her career with small roles in theater and television. After moving to Los Angeles in 1975, she landed guest spots on shows like “S.W.A.T.,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” and “Three’s Company” before her breakout role on “WKRP.”
Beyond the radio station, Anderson’s career included a variety of film and television projects. She starred in several telefilms, notably portraying Hollywood sirens in “The Jayne Mansfield Story” (1980) and “White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd” (1991). On the big screen, she starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the 1983 auto-racing comedy “Stroker Ace” and voiced Flo, a compassionate collie, in the animated classic “All Dogs Go to Heaven” (1989).
Her personal life, particularly her relationship with Reynolds, often made tabloid headlines. The pair married in 1988 after meeting on “The Merv Griffin Show” in 1981. Their highly publicized and often tumultuous marriage ended in an acrimonious divorce in 1994. Anderson detailed the relationship and other aspects of her life in her 1995 autobiography, “My Life in High Heels.”
In her later years, Anderson continued to act, appearing in the series “Nurses” and making guest appearances on shows like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Melrose Place.” In 2023, she joined fellow 80s stars for the Lifetime movie “Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas.” She also became a dedicated spokesperson for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) awareness, having witnessed its effects on her parents.
In 2008, Anderson married musician Bob Flick of the folk band The Brothers Four, whom she had first met in 1963. She is survived by Flick; her daughter, Deidra; her son, Quinton Anderson Reynolds; and several grandchildren and step-grandchildren. Her family has suggested that contributions in her memory can be made to the National Lung Health Education Program or the American Cancer Society.
