As tributes pour in, Hollywood can’t stop whispering about her stormy romance with Burt Reynolds. Friends say their love story was darker than anyone imagined—jealous rages, secret breakups, and a final betrayal that left scars even fame couldn’t heal. Now, her death may uncover the truth they swore to bury.
While Loni Anderson’s on-screen talent garnered her great success, her life behind the scenes was equally – if not more – in the spotlight.
Dubbed a “sex symbol” for decades, Anderson, who died Sunday after battling a long illness, embraced her upbringing and public romances, including her relationship with the late Burt Reynolds.
The former couple met on a talk show and ended up on “Stroker Ace” in 1982.
Loni Anderson, ‘WKRP in Cincinnati Star,’ Dies at 79
Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds were married from 1988 to 1995. (Ron Galella Collection/Ron Galella via Getty Images)
“Whether this relationship will go beyond where it is now, I don’t know,” Reynolds told People that same year. “Loni and I are both trying very hard to get to know each other and like each other without too much press coverage and bombshells. “
The couple, who adopted son Quinton Anderson Reynolds in August 1988, tied the knot that same year, but surprisingly divorced in 1995.
In 2015, Reynolds told People it was a “really stupid move” to marry Anderson.
“I should know you don’t marry an actress,” he said at the time. “It’s not all locks and roses.”
Loni Anderson says she made peace with Burt Reynolds before his death: ‘There’s a lot of memories there’
The couple, who share a son together, had a tumbling competition in 1995. (Getty)
In 1995, Anderson told the Associated Press that the marriage wasn’t perfect.
“There was pain,” she said at the time. “There were a lot of benefits. On his part, I always tried to work through it and felt very empowered that I thought I could. And there was a love on my part.”
“We were friends first and friends last.”
– Loni Anderson
After announcing their divorce, Reynolds pointed to the lack of sexual chemistry as a catalyst.
“I don’t see how she could be complete when you haven’t had it if you haven’t touched her in the biblical sense for the last three years,” he said during a “Good Morning America: Evening Edition” appearance at the time. “How can you be surprised?”
Reynold also points to infidelity.
Both have been accused of infidelity. (Ron Galella/Wireimage)
“I caught her cheating on me,” he said. “And so I just decided to call it out,” he claimed.
At the time, Anderson responded, “I have no intention of getting into a media war. I have to look at my son’s best interests and my best interests.”
Anderson admitted that the public breakup was a difficult experience.
“I used to say to him, ‘Why would you say that?’” she said in a 2018 interview with Closer Weekly about Reynolds’ comments about their relationship to the press. “People don’t realize that [in the worst of times] we were always in touch.”
In 2019, Anderson said she and Reynolds — who died in 2018 of a heart attack — had reconciled before his death with the help of their son.
“We were friends first and friends last,” Anderson told Closer Weekly in 2018. “It was time to move on.”
The “WKRP in Cincinnati” actress insisted she and Reynolds had let go of the monarchy they endured when their marriage ended for Quinton’s sake.
Loni Anderson died on August 3 after battling a long illness. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
“We had wonderful children together,” she said. “Having a son was a huge event in our lives and so everything revolved around him.”
According to Closer Weekly, it was Quinton who acted as a mediator and even brought the parents together one last time before Reynolds passed away.
“We went out to dinner and [Burt] brought me flowers,” Anderson recalled. “Burt could be quiet, reserved and self-conscious. He was a bookworm and loved to read secrets together so we could share them.”
Anderson added that they would spend hours looking forward to the end of those stories.
“He was a voracious reader,” she said.
The couple eventually reconciled before Reynolds’ death in 2018. (AP Photo/Bob Galbraith, File)
Reynold spent his final years in Florida, where he first returned in 1968 after several years in California.
At the time of Reynolds’ death, Anderson and Quinton said they would “miss” the late actor and his “wonderful laugh.”
“Quinton and I have been deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support from friends and family around the world,” Anderson said in a statement to Fox News hours after Reynolds’ death.
The statement continued: “Burt was a wonderful director and actor. He was a big part of my life for 12 years and Quinton’s father for 30 years. We will miss him and his wonderful laugh.”
In 2021, Anderson reflects on her life and reveals the advice she would choose if she were younger.
“I would tell her, ‘Don’t keep looking forward to what’s next, just enjoy the climb.’ There’s nothing better than climbing, you know?
Fox News’ Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
