What went wrong between Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds? A look at their marriage as the actress dies at 79

The Emmy Award-nominated actress, Loni Anderson, best known for playing the receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, died on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at a Los Angeles hospital after suffering from a prolonged illness, according to USA Today.

Anderson was married four times during her lifetime. However, her marriage to the Hawk actor Burt Reynolds was one of the most talked-about topics in Hollywood. They got married in 1988, but ended up separating in a highly public and bitter divorce in 1994.

As per reports, their marriage did not work out because of quite a few reasons, including constant arguments, clashing personalities, and allegations of infidelity and abuse.

Anderson was 79 at the time of her death.

More about Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds's marriage and divorce

Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds began dating in 1982, and after a few years of dating, they married in 1988 in Florida. The pair went on to divorce each other in 1994, which ended up becoming a highly publicized affair.

Their relationship was marked by emotional tension. While they were going through the divorce, Reynolds claimed that Anderson was unfaithful as well as a poor mother. He also confessed to having an affair, but stated that it was because of Anderson's infidelity, according to the LA Times.

Burt Reynolds also stated that Loni was underemployed and had ''low self-esteem". After their divorce was finalised, Anderson accused Reynolds of physically abusing her, for which she blamed his alleged drug use in her autobiography titled My Life in High Heels, and in an interview with SFGate. Their divorce became even messier due to financial issues, as per Men's Journal.

Reynolds filed for bankruptcy, partly due to the settlement he had to pay Anderson. Following this, there were battles over unpaid alimony. To put matters to rest, Burt had written a $154,520 check, and a few months later, when he spoke to People in an interview, he had said:

''I should have known that you don’t marry an actress. That was a really dumb move on my part.''

Trending

When they got married, the couple had adopted a son, Quinton, in 1988, and after the divorce, there were tensions over custody and parenting decisions, which led to further arguments.

Loni Anderson is survived by her son Quinton, stepson Adam Flick, her husband Bob Flick, and her grandchildren.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback