GOSSIP & RUMORS: Loni Anderson’s cause of death revealed

Loni Anderson’s cause of death has been revealed nearly three weeks after the “WKRP in Cincinnati” star’s shocking passing at age 79.

Anderson’s death certificate, obtained by TMZ on Friday, disclosed that the beloved actress passed away from an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer called metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare cancer that “most often starts in the smooth muscle tissue in the uterus, belly, or leg,” per the Mayo Clinic. “It starts as a growth of cells,” and “often grows quickly and can move to other parts of the body.”

Anderson, who was married to Burt Reynolds from 1988 until their divorce was finalized in 1994, passed away on Aug. 3, just two days before her 80th birthday.

Her longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, announced the shocking news and said that Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a “prolonged” illness.

“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” Anderson’s family added in a statement.

“WKRP” aired on CBS from 1978 to 1982 and starred Anderson as receptionist Jennifer Marlowe.

Set in a fictional Ohio radio station, the cast also included Gary Sandy, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman, Frank Bonner and Jan Smithers.

Anderson’s role as Marlowe earned her two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations during the sitcom’s four-season run.

One year after “WKRP” ended in 1982, Anderson went on to star on the big screen alongside Burt Reynolds in the 1983 comedy “Stroker Ace.”

The pair later married in 1988 and became popular tabloid fixtures up until their bitter divorce in 1994.

“I think back to the beginning of our relationship, it was so, oh, gosh, tabloidy,” Anderson said years after her and Reynolds’ divorce.

“We were just a spectacle all the time. And it was hard to have a relationship in that atmosphere,” she added. “And somehow, we did it through many ups and downs.”

Anderson detailed her and Reynolds’ rocky marriage further in her 1995 autobiography, “My Life in High Heels.”

“I think if you’re going to write about yourself, you have to do it warts and all,” Anderson said while promoting the book. “You may not even tell the nicest things about yourself, because you’re telling the truth.”

The couple shared one child, Quinton Reynolds, 36, whom Anderson admitted was “the best decision that we ever made in our entire relationship” during the unveiling of a bronze bust at Reynolds’ Hollywood gravesite in 2021.

Reynolds passed away from a heart attack on Sept. 6, 2018. He was 82.

Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Aug. 5, 1945, Anderson made her acting debut in the 1966 film “Nevada Smith” with Steve McQueen.

She starred in the short-lived comedy series “Easy Street” after “WKRP” came to an end, as well as several made-for-TV movies like “A Letter to Three Wives” and “White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd.”

Anderson’s final role was in Lifetime’s “Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas,” which aired Dec. 2, 2023.

Besides Reynolds, she was married three other times, most recently to Bob Flick in 2008.

The late “WKRP” star is survived by Flick; her daughter Deidra and son-in-law Charlie Hoffman; her son Quinton; her grandchildren McKenzie and Megan Hoffman; her stepson Adam Flick and his wife Helene; and her step-grandchildren Felix and Maximilian.