Loni Anderson, star of TV hit ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ dies at 79

Actress Loni Anderson, best known for her role on the 1970s and ’80s TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” has died at 79.

Anderson, who played receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS comedy about the staff of an AM radio station in Ohio, died at noon PT Sunday, Aug. 3, in Los Angeles following “an acute prolonged illness,” the actress’s representative Cheryl J. Kagan confirmed to USA TODAY.

She was surrounded by her family, who wrote in a statement: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother.”

Anderson earned two Primetime Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy for her performance as Marlowe during the four-year run of “WKRP.”

She was the ex-wife of movie star Burt Reynolds.

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