Loni Anderson cause of death: How did the ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ star die? Look at her health issues

Loni Anderson's role in ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ earned her two Emmy Award and three Golden Globe nominations.

Published on: Aug 4, 2025, 04:31:33 IST

By Shuvrajit Das Biswas

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Loni Anderson, known for her role in ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’, died at 79, just days before her 80th birthday. Her birthday is on August 5.

Loni Anderson has been an outspoken advocate against Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) after acting as caregiver to both her parents who suffered from it. (AP)

She played a struggling radio station's empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy. The role earned her two Emmy Award and three Golden Globe nominations.

"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother," Anderson's family said in a statement.

How did Loni Anderson die?

Anderson died after a "prolonged" illness, as per Cheryl J Kagan, her longtime publicist.

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Notably, Anderson has been an outspoken advocate against Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) after she acted as caregiver to both her parents who suffered from this ailment.

Who was Loni Anderson?

Anderson played the receptionist in ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’. As Jennifer, on the show, she used her sex appeal to deflect unwanted business calls for her boss, Mr Carlson. Her character's efficiency often kept the station running in the face of others' incompetence.

"WKRP in Cincinnati" aired from 1978-1982 and was set in a lagging Ohio radio station trying to reinvent itself with rock music. The cast included Gary Sandy, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman, Frank Bonner and Jan Smithers, alongside Anderson as the sexy and smart Jennifer Marlowe.

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She also starred alongside Burt Reynolds in ‘Stroker Ace’ the 1983 comedy. They married and were tabloid fixtures for some time, till their divorce in 1994.

Anderson is survived by her husband Bob Flick, daughter Deidra and son-in law Charlie Hoffman, son Quinton Anderson Reynolds, grandchildren McKenzie and Megan Hoffman, stepson Adam Flick and wife Helene, step-grandchildren Felix and Maximilian.

(With AP inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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