Loni Anderson’s Cause of Death Revealed

WKRP in Cincinnati star Loni Anderson’s cause of death this month was revealed as an aggressive form of cancer.

Anderson’s cause of death was metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma, according to the death certificate, which TMZ recently obtained. No other contributing factors were listed.

A uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor in the muscle lining the walls of the uterus, and it turns metastatic when the abnormal cellular growth spreads to distant bodily tissues or organs, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.

Anderson’s longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, told the Associated Press the TV star died at a Los Angeles hospital on August 3, two days before her 80th birthday, following a prolonged illness.

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

 

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Among other celebrity tributes came a loving remembrance by WKRP in Cincinnati costar Tim Reid. “One of the dearest friends I’ve had in my life’s journey,” he wrote on Instagram. “Such a wonderful woman. We had some fun! I’ll miss her and pray that her transition be peaceful and glorious.”

In a comment on that post, Reid shared an anecdote from their time working together: “It was Loni who convinced me to get my ear pierced and add the earring,” he said. “She didn’t tell me [it] would hurt like hell, and [it] damn near got me fired. But I still wear it to this very day. She was a most talented, beautiful, and defiant woman.”

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Tori Spelling, who had Anderson as a TV mom on the sitcom So Notorious, also mourned her on Instagram. “At a time when I was leaving the metaphysical nest, embarking into adulthood not on any particular guided timeline, Loni came into my life,” Spelling wrote, in part. “She represented kindness, humbleness, and pure grace. She taught me so much. We laughed, we cried, [and] she was as real as they got, while simultaneously knowing her worth.”

Spelling added, “When you think of a star, Loni was truly that. In every sense. When they say ‘don’t meet your heroes,’ they weren’t talking about Loni Anderson. She was everything and more to everyone.”