Loni Anderson's 'Incredibly Rare' Cause of Death Revealed Weeks After 'WKRP in Cincinnati' Actress Tragically Died
Loni Anderson's cause of death has been revealed after her tragic passing.
Aug. 22 2025, Published 6:29 p.m. ET
We now have an official cause of death for Loni Anderson, just weeks after she died at 79, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to the death certificate, the WKRP in Cincinnati star died from metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma, which was labeled as an "incredibly rare" form of cancer, which usually begins in the uterus and can spread to other areas of the body.
How Did Anderson Die?
Anderson's cause of death was finally revealed.
On August 3, the TV star's publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, confirmed her friend had died following a "prolonged" illness, and her family added: "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother, and grandmother."
Anderson was best known for playing Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS comedy WKRP in Cincinnati, which focused on a struggling Ohio radio station. The series ran for four seasons from 1978 to 1982.
The blonde beauty was also seen on the big screen in A Night at the Roxbury, her final film role; however, she also lent her voice for the animated movie, All Dogs Go To Heaven, which also included actor Burt Reynolds' voice.
Reynolds was Anderson's third, and most notable, marriage.
Anderson's Shocking Spilt From Burt Reynolds
Anderson died from metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer.
The couple tied the knot in 1988, but parted ways in 1994 in an ugly divorce that played out in public, as both sides made shocking allegations against one another.
However, after first announcing their separation in 1993, the Gunsmoke actor called the divorce the toughest decision he'd ever had to make.
"There's no easy way to tell someone that it's over, especially if she's someone you still love," Reynolds said at the time. "I knew she was going to cry. And she did. There were tears in my eyes, too."
At the time, Reynolds blamed his sudden resurgence as a Hollywood heartthrob and his booming career for the start of the breakup, explaining that he had plenty of time to woo and romance Anderson in the early 1980s, when his career was "in the pits."
Ugly Allegations Exposed
The actress was married to Hollywood heartthrob Burt Reynolds in the late 80s, but a nasty split followed.
He recalled: "We were inseparable. We went on romantic vacations, we were always going out to candlelight dinners, and even when I had to travel on business, Loni came with me."
However, after he landed a role on the TV series Evening Shade, everything changed: "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."
Things took an even darker turn following their split, when Reynolds admitted to being involved with another woman, and claimed to have done so only after he became convinced that Anderson had cheated first.
In 1995, Anderson accused the Deliverance actor of physically abusing her while he was allegedly under the influence of drugs.
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Anderson was married four times and had two children, one of which she adopted with Reynolds.
"Burt always said no one would ever believe me because he was Mr. Wonderful and the world loved him," Anderson said of the abuse in an interview with SFGate.
Anderson also accused Reynolds of constantly being late with his child support payments. The pair adopted a son, Quinton, who happened to walk his mother down the aisle when she married her fourth husband, Bob Flick.
Despite the messy split, Anderson still grieved Reynolds when he died in 2018 at the age of 82 from a heart attack, saying at the time he was a "big part of my life for twelve years," and said she would "miss him and his great laugh."
