On Monday, the world was shocked to learn of Kirstie Alley‘s passing. The actor was 71 years old when she passed away. In addition to announcing the news of Alley’s death, her family verified that cancer was the cause of her passing.
According to TV Line, Alley’s children True and Lillie released a statement on social media regarding the Cheers star’s passing. In their statement, they revealed that Alley had recently been diagnosed with cancer and died of the disease. They did not disclose any additional information regarding the nature of her illness. Their statement began, “We regret to inform you that our extraordinary, courageous, and beloved mother has passed away following a struggle with cancer that was only recently diagnosed.”
What was Kirstie Alley’s Cause of Death?
On December 5, the children of Kirstie Alley tweeted a heartfelt message about their mother. “To all our far-flung friends around the globe, we regret to inform you that our beautiful, courageous, and loving mother passed away after a struggle with cancer that was only recently diagnosed,” they disclosed. They went on to state that she was “surrounded by her closest family and fought with amazing strength, leaving us convinced of her never-ending zest for life and her next experiences.”
Her children were extremely grateful to the Moffitt Cancer Center for treating the actress. True and Lillie were not Kirstie’s real children, but that had no bearing on how much she and her ex-husband, actor Parker Stevenson, adored them.
They added, “Our mother’s zeal and passion for life, her children, grandkids, and her numerous animals, not to mention her perpetual joy in creating, were unmatched and left us encouraged to live life to the fullest as she did.”
Who was Kirstie alley?
Alley was born in 1951 in Wichita, Kansas. After relocating to Los Angeles in 1979 to pursue a career in acting, she appeared in various film and television roles. On the television show Cheers, she played Rebecca Howe, one of her most recognizable roles. In 1991, Alley received her first Emmy for this role. She was nominated for The Last Don and Veronica’s Closet after being nominated for her roles in The Last Don and David’s Mother.
Star Trek fans remember her performance as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with fondness. And while she worked constantly in cinema and television in tiny roles, nothing truly took off for her until 1987. That was the year in which Kirstie got the classic role of Rebecca Howe on Cheers, replacing the perennially hilarious Shelley Long. This would earn Kirstie her first Emmy.
Using deadpan delivery and dry humor, she competed against Ted Danson’s Sam Malone for the next six years. During her time on Cheers, Kirstie would star in a critically acclaimed film. In the 1989 film Look Who’s Talking, she portrayed an unwed pregnant lady whose unborn child had the mental capabilities of an adult man (voiced by Bruce Willis). The hugely successful film inspired two slightly less popular sequels starring John Travolta.
Her next television appearance was as executive producer and star of Veronica’s Closet, in which she portrayed the title character. The show ran for three seasons between 1997 and 2000. After that, things were harder as Kirstie struggled with her weight and Hollywood’s unattainable beauty standards for women. She developed the weight-loss program Organic Liaison in 2010 but was later sued for deceptive promotion.
Kirstie was quite vocal about her political beliefs. In 2016, she endorsed Donald Trump, but she later withdrew her support after the “grab her by the p—-y” event came to light. She would eventually commend Trump for his management of the outbreak’s early stages. Since 1979, she was also a member of the Church of Scientology.
Following the news of Alley’s death, many of her celebrity pals, including Tim Allen and John Travolta, have paid tribute to her on social media. The star of Grease honored the “He wrote, “I love you, Kirstie” in reference to their “unique bond.” I am certain that we shall cross paths again.”