EXCLUSIVE: Burt Reynolds Vowed Loni Anderson Divorce Would Not Turn 'Bitter' Before Messy Years-long Separation Battle
Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson suffered a messy public divorce.
Aug. 4 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Burt Reynolds wanted his highly publicized divorce from Loni Anderson to go so differently, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The legendary actor had previously promised in his own words to keep the separation civil, but that turned out to be wishful thinking.
The couple were married for five years.
Anderson, who died Sunday, August 3, at 79, began dating Reynolds in 1982, after the pair worked together on the comedy Stroker Ace. After a lengthy relationship, the two tied the knot in 1988.
Just five years later, their marriage crumbled in a vicious public feud, with Reynolds claiming that Anderson was unfaithful and a bad mother, while she claimed that the Deliverance actor had abused her.
However, before any of that, Reynolds, who died in 2018, promised in his own words to end the marriage amicably.
"Our divorce won't be a bitter battle," he said in 2013. "There will be no vicious haggling over money. Although we had a prenuptial agreement, we plan to fairly divide all the money and property we acсumulated during our marriage.
"And don't expect to see me on the talk show circuit putting Loni down. I've never had an unkind word to say about any woman I've been involved with, and that's not about to change."
Allegations and Accusations
They each accused the other of infidelity and other charges.
But change it did. Allegations of infidelity and abuse were thrown around by both parties, with Reynolds accusing Anderson of hooking up with one of his acting students, while later confessing to a relationship with a Tampa cocktail waitress.
The Cop and a Half star became enraged with what he called Anderson's non-stop spending sprees, writing in his autobiography: "She bought everything in triplicate, from everyday dresses to jewelry to china and linens. I gave her a platinum American Express card with a $45,000 credit limit. She maxed it out in half an hour."
Meanwhile, the WKRP in Cincinnati star wrote about the alleged abuse she suffered from Reynolds in her own 1995 autobiography, revealing his battle with drug abuse, including Percodan for pain, Valium for anxiety, and Compazine for its side effects.
"The physical abuse I always blamed on the drugs," Anderson wrote, detailing the alleged beatings that left her bruised all over her body.
Taking the Blame
Reynolds had vowed to keep the divorce civil.
Reynolds initially took full blame for the divorce, confessing that after he landed the starring role on the television series Evening Shade, his marriage was placed on the back burner.
"In Hollywood, you're given only so many chances," he continued. "I had the extraordinary luck of getting two. I had to grab for the brass ring.
"When Shade came along, I wasn't about to pass it up. I needed to get my dignity back and have some money for my family.
"You might say I became a workaholic. I never had a regular night out with the boys, I didn't play poker, and I worked too hard to be having an extramarital affair. That all took its toll on our marriage."
'Empty' Nest
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Anderson died over the weekend.
Reynolds reflected his doomed union in the 1993 interview, admitting: "The truth is our marriage had been an empty shell for the past year - but we kept it a total secret.
"Remember, Loni and I are both pretty good actors. Not even our closest friends knew about our personal troubles."
Reynolds said at the time the two tried marriage counseling, but it didn't help.
"Finally, I realized we should go our separate ways," he concluded.
