A well-liked actress named Kirstie Alley passed away at the age of 71. On Alley’s Instagram page, her family shared the terrible news that she had lost her battle with cancer.
Alley gained prominence because of her appearance on the sitcom Cheers. The two-time Emmy Award-winning actress has appeared in several commercially successful films and garnered admirers on Dancing With The Stars throughout her career.
Her family released a lengthy statement on Monday in which they discussed the final moments of her life.
Shutterstock/carrienelson
Kirstie Alley had a turbulent childhood. She was created on January 12, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas.
Kirstie Alley: early life
She attended Wichita Southeast for her senior year of high school and then attended Kansas State and Kansas Universities to study theater. However, narcotics wrecked her formative years.
The real reason I got out of Kansas is that I was high. I was made entirely insane by drugs. She told Parade, “I jumped in the car and drove out to California.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my dream if I hadn’t been drugged out. I needed some effort to get out of Wichita, Kansas.”
“People certainly feel a little more optimistic about their ability to succeed now that there are reality shows and another similar programming on television. However, at the time—30 years ago—it was simply like, “How could I possibly have the audacity to imagine being a star? How could I have thought that?” You’re humiliated, and if you’re not humbled, others will make you feel humble, like, “Who in the world do you think you are to relocate to California and become famous? “I mean, Kirstie, come on!” Added she.
Alley moved away from Wichita to seek an acting career in California. She started designing homes, but the party scene became too much for her.
Brad Elterman/FilmMagic
She went through a tumultuous time in which she tried numerous drugs and surrounded herself with the wrong people. Then tragedy struck her family in 1981.
Begin an acting career and relocate to Hollywood.
Alley’s mother was killed, and her father was critically injured when a drunk driver hit their car. Of course, it was a painful experience for the young woman.
Years later, the drunk driver who caused the accident expressed interest in meeting Kirstie. However, the actress was uninterested.
“Why Kirstie doesn’t want to speak with me is understandable, “Added the inebriated driver. “But if she changed her mind, I would apologize profusely to Kirstie and her father for what transpired that evening and the suffering I caused them.”
Kirstie’s life was forever altered when her mother died. She altered her lifestyle, stopped using drugs, and went through recovery.
She also became a member of the Church of Scientology.
In 1982, she landed her first leading parts. Her breakthrough performance was as the half-Vulcan officer Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
A few years later, Alley was chosen to play Gloria Steinem in the television film A Bunny’s Tale.
She also appeared in the 1985 miniseries North and South, which starred Hollywood heavyweight Patrick Swayze.
Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images
They weren’t the essential parts, but they got Kirstie into the spotlight in Hollywood. Then, in 1987, she landed the role of Rebecca Howe in the sitcom Cheers, which would change her life.
Kirstie Alley: success on “Cheers” & other work
Cheers propelled Alley to new levels of celebrity, winning her praise from viewers and critics. She received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical in 1991 and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Following her leave from Cheers in 1993, Alley appeared in some major projects, including David’s Mother, for which she won a second Emmy Award. She was in the sitcom Veronica’s Closet and the drama miniseries The Last Don in 1997.
The actress will also be known for her roles in films such as Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which she co-starred with Ellen Barkin.
During the last ten years of her life, Alley appeared in numerous productions. When she joined the TV dance program Dancing with the Stars in 2012, the American public witnessed a new side of her.
She and her dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished second on the show, and she was invited back later that year to compete in the All-Star competition.
Kirstie had a positive personal life throughout it all. She met her second husband, actor Parker Stevenson, and they married in 1983. They adopted a son named William and a daughter named Lillie.
Alley and Stevenson filed for divorce in 1997.
Shutterstock/Bart Sherkow
Kirstie was given a Lyme disease diagnosis in 2017. Speaking openly, the actress revealed how her borrelia-related disease had caused her to lose a lot of weight.
Kirstie Alley’s inspirational weight-loss journey
“If I made cookies, I wouldn’t eat two cookies. I would eat 12 cookies! And I went off the rails … I started drinking 12 grape sodas daily. I was consuming massive amounts of sugar!” she explained.
But Alley’s struggles with her weight have a longer history. In 2004, she revealed that she had “gained around 40 or 50 pounds throughout one summer.”
“Honestly, I didn’t know how fat I was,” she said. “Thanks to the tabloids, I went, ‘Damn, girl, your fat!'”.
She may have drawn inspiration from that encounter for her upcoming comedy series. Fat Actress launched a year after the Oprah interview.
Kirstie played the sitcom’s main character, loosely based on her life. The show is about a Hollywood actress whose weight loss elevated Alley’s celebrity status, earning her plaudits from fans and critics.
In 1991, she won a Golden Globe for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Series for her work.
After leaving Cheers in 1993, Alley made significant appearances in some high-profile productions, including David’s Mother, for which she received a second Emmy nomination.
In 1997, she appeared in the comedy Veronica’s Closet and the drama miniseries The Last Don.
Along with her collaborations with Ellen Barkin in movies like Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous, the actress will also be remembered for these roles.
Alley made numerous appearances in plays in the ten years before her death. The American audience saw a different side of her when she competed in the TV dance competition Dancing with the Stars in 2012.
She placed second on the show with her dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and later that year, she was invited back to compete in the All-Star competition.
All the while, Kirstie enjoyed a happy personal life. Actor Parker Stevenson, whom she later married, and she was married in 1983. They adopted William, a son, and Lillie, a daughter.
In 1997, Alley and Stevenson announced their divorce.
“I think women across the country will identify with her,” co-creator Brenda Hampton told TODAY in 2004.
“It’s difficult to lose weight and find a relationship, no matter where you live.” It makes it all the more painful when you’re in the spotlight.”
Shutterstock/DFree
However, things progressed quickly after receiving assistance from the Jenny Craig weight-loss program.
Kirstie struck a balance and steadily lost weight over three years. After losing 75 pounds due to the program, she worked as a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig until 2007.
“No surgery, no Flippin’ lasers.”
Kirstie gained weight again when she was chosen to compete in Dancing With The Stars in 2011. She weighed 230 pounds when the series began, per People.
However, she had lost almost 100 pounds by the time the competition was over. By all accounts, Kirstie put in a lot of effort to succeed on the dance floor.
Unfortunately, TV viewers were not shy about criticizing. Some people believed Kirstie had starved herself or undergone surgery to get in shape for the program. On Twitter, Kirstie replied to the haters:
“NO surgery, NO lasers, NO barfing, NO starvation…Jeez, my products, organic food, dance,” she tweeted a few months after the show’s conclusion.
Alley’s final project was in 2020 when she starred in the television film You Can’t Take My Daughter.
Shutterstock/Featureflash Photo Agency
According to her family, Kirstie Alley died of cancer at age 71 on Monday, December 5.
Kirstie Alley—cause of death and last hours
“To all our friends, far and wide around the world… We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce, and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered.
“She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead,” the statement read.
“As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.” We thank the incredible team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care. Our mother’s zest and passion for life, for her children, grandchildren, and many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and left us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did. We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time. With love always, “True and Lillie Parker.”
Her ex-husband, Parker Stevenson, posted a heartfelt tribute to her on Instagram.
“Dear Kirstie, “I am so grateful for our years together and for the two lovely children and now grandchildren that we have,” he wrote alongside an image of Alley.” You will be missed. “With love, Parker.”
Alley, a Scientologist, did not leave her house in Clearwater, Florida, throughout her later years.
A touching tribute from John Travolta
“She’s done with LA,” a source told OK Magazine. “She’s happily disappeared into a quiet life in Clearwater, where she can also be more open about her beliefs.”
Another insider added: “Kirstie hasn’t worked in over a year, and she’s fine with that,” an insider previously said. “She has no plans on returning to Hollywood.”
Following Alley’s death, many people took to social media to pay their respects. John Travolta, who co-starred with Alley in the 1989 film Look Who’s Talking and its two sequels, was one of those who did.
Kelly Preston, the Grease star’s wife, died of cancer in 2020. Kelly Preston, Travolta’s wife, died of cancer in July 2020 at age 57.
“I love you, Kirstie,” Travolta wrote on Instagram. “I know we will see each other again.”
Throughout the years, the two had an exceptional bond. Alley said on Celebrity Big Brother that she once had a crush on John Travolta.
“He was potential marriage material. “I almost ran off and married John,” she said. “I did love him and still love him,’ she reflected. ‘And if I hadn’t been married, I would have married him.” “And I would have been on an airplane.”
Shutterstock/
Kirstie commented on their romance in 2018.
“A beautiful mama bear”
“John would agree it was mutual that we sort of fell in love with each other,” Alley said of their relationship in 2018, adding that saying no to the romance was “one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do.”
She continued: “Because I was madly in love with him—we were fun and funny together.” It wasn’t a sexual relationship because I’m not going to cheat on my husband.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, who was in the 2016 horror show Scream Queens with Alley, also used social media to honor her.
“She was a great comic foil in Scream Queens and a beautiful mama bear in her real life.” “She helped me buy onesies for my family that year for Christmas,” Curtis recalled.
“We agreed to disagree about some things but had a mutual respect and connection.” Sad news.”
Rest in peace, Kirstie Alley.
Died at 71, and her family has shared details of the actress’s final hours.
A well-liked actress named Kirstie Alley passed away at the age of 71. On Alley’s Instagram page, her family shared the terrible news that she had lost her battle with cancer.
Alley gained prominence because of her appearance on the sitcom Cheers.
The two-time Emmy Award-winning actress has appeared in several commercially successful films and garnered admirers on Dancing With The Stars throughout her career.
Her family released a lengthy statement on Monday in which they discussed the final moments of her life.
Shutterstock/carrienelson
Kirstie Alley had a turbulent childhood. She was created on January 12, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas.
Kirstie Alley: early life
She attended Wichita Southeast for her senior year of high school and then attended Kansas State and Kansas Universities to study theater. However, narcotics wrecked her formative years.
The real reason I got out of Kansas is that I was high. I was made entirely insane by drugs. She told Parade, “I jumped in the car and drove out to California.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my dream if I hadn’t been drugged out. I needed some effort to get out of Wichita, Kansas.”
“People certainly feel a little more optimistic about their ability to succeed now that there are reality shows and another similar programming on television. However, at the time—30 years ago—it was simply like, “How could I possibly have the audacity to imagine being a star? How could I have thought that?” You’re humiliated, and if you’re not humbled, others will make you feel humble, like, “Who in the world do you think you are to relocate to California and become famous? “I mean, Kirstie, come on!” Added she.
Alley moved away from Wichita to seek an acting career in California. She started designing homes, but the party scene became too much for her.
Brad Elterman/FilmMagic
She went through a tumultuous time in which she tried numerous drugs and surrounded herself with the wrong people. Then tragedy struck her family in 1981.
Begin an acting career and relocate to Hollywood.
Alley’s mother was killed, and her father was critically injured when a drunk driver hit their car. Of course, it was a painful experience for the young woman. Years later, the drunk driver who caused the accident expressed interest in meeting Kirstie. However, the actress was uninterested.
“Why Kirstie doesn’t want to speak with me is understandable, “Added the inebriated driver. “But if she changed her mind, I would apologize profusely to Kirstie and her father for what transpired that evening and the suffering I caused them.”
Kirstie’s life was forever altered when her mother died. She altered her lifestyle, stopped using drugs, and went through recovery.
She also became a member of the Church of Scientology.
In 1982, she landed her first leading parts. Her breakthrough performance was as the half-Vulcan officer Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
A few years later, Alley was chosen to play Gloria Steinem in the television film A Bunny’s Tale. She also appeared in the 1985 miniseries North and South, which starred Hollywood heavyweight Patrick Swayze.
Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images
They weren’t the essential parts, but they got Kirstie into the spotlight in Hollywood. Then, in 1987, she landed the role of Rebecca Howe in the sitcom Cheers, which would change her life.
Kirstie Alley: success on “Cheers” & other work
Cheers propelled Alley to new levels of celebrity, winning her praise from viewers and critics.
She received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical in 1991 and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Following her leave from Cheers in 1993, Alley appeared in some major projects, including David’s Mother, for which she won a second Emmy Award.
She was in the sitcom Veronica’s Closet and the drama miniseries The Last Don in 1997.
The actress will also be known for her roles in films such as Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which she co-starred with Ellen Barkin.
During the last ten years of her life, Alley appeared in numerous productions. When she joined the TV dance program Dancing with the Stars in 2012, the American public witnessed a new side of her.
She and her dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished second on the show, and she was invited back later that year to compete in the All-Star competition.
Kirstie had a positive personal life throughout it all. She met her second husband, actor Parker Stevenson, and they married in 1983. They adopted a son named William and a daughter named Lillie.
Alley and Stevenson filed for divorce in 1997.
Shutterstock/Bart Sherkow
Kirstie was given a Lyme disease diagnosis in 2017. Speaking openly, the actress revealed how her borrelia-related disease had caused her to lose a lot of weight.
Kirstie Alley’s inspirational weight-loss journey
“If I made cookies, I wouldn’t eat two cookies. I would eat 12 cookies! And I went off the rails … I started drinking 12 grape sodas daily. I was consuming massive amounts of sugar!” she explained.
But Alley’s struggles with her weight have a longer history. In 2004, she revealed that she had “gained around 40 or 50 pounds throughout one summer.”
“Honestly, I didn’t know how fat I was,” she said. “Thanks to the tabloids, I went, ‘Damn, girl, your fat!'”.
She may have drawn inspiration from that encounter for her upcoming comedy series. Fat Actress launched a year after the Oprah interview.
Kirstie played the sitcom’s main character, loosely based on her life. The show is about a Hollywood actress whose weight loss elevated Alley’s celebrity status, earning her plaudits from fans and critics.
In 1991, she won a Golden Globe for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Series for her work.
After leaving Cheers in 1993, Alley made significant appearances in some high-profile productions, including David’s Mother, for which she received a second Emmy nomination.
In 1997, she appeared in the comedy Veronica’s Closet and the drama miniseries The Last Don.
Along with her collaborations with Ellen Barkin in movies like Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous, the actress will also be remembered for these roles.
Alley made numerous appearances in plays in the ten years before her death. The American audience saw a different side of her when she competed in the TV dance competition Dancing with the Stars in 2012.
She placed second on the show with her dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and later that year, she was invited back to compete in the All-Star competition.
All the while, Kirstie enjoyed a happy personal life. Actor Parker Stevenson, whom she later married, and she was married in 1983. They adopted William, a son, and Lillie, a daughter.
In 1997, Alley and Stevenson announced their divorce.
“I think women across the country will identify with her,” co-creator Brenda Hampton told TODAY in 2004.
“It’s difficult to lose weight and find a relationship, no matter where you live.” It makes it all the more painful when you’re in the spotlight.”
Shutterstock/DFree
However, things progressed quickly after receiving assistance from the Jenny Craig weight-loss program. Kirstie struck a balance and steadily lost weight over three years.
After losing 75 pounds due to the program, she worked as a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig until 2007.
“No surgery, no Flippin’ lasers.”
Kirstie gained weight again when she was chosen to compete in Dancing With The Stars in 2011. She weighed 230 pounds when the series began, per People.
However, she had lost almost 100 pounds by the time the competition was over. By all accounts, Kirstie put in a lot of effort to succeed on the dance floor.
Unfortunately, TV viewers were not shy about criticizing. Some people believed Kirstie had starved herself or undergone surgery to get in shape for the program. On Twitter, Kirstie replied to the haters:
“NO surgery, NO lasers, NO barfing, NO starvation…Jeez, my products, organic food, dance,” she tweeted a few months after the show’s conclusion.
Alley’s final project was in 2020 when she starred in the television film You Can’t Take My Daughter.
Shutterstock/Featureflash Photo Agency
According to her family, Kirstie Alley died of cancer at age 71 on Monday, December 5.
Kirstie Alley—cause of death and last hours
“To all our friends, far and wide around the world… We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce, and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered. “She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead,” the statement read.
“As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.” We thank the incredible team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care. Our mother’s zest and passion for life, for her children, grandchildren, and many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and left us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did. We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time. With love always, “True and Lillie Parker.”
Her ex-husband, Parker Stevenson, posted a heartfelt tribute to her on Instagram.
“Dear Kirstie, “I am so grateful for our years together and for the two lovely children and now grandchildren that we have,” he wrote alongside an image of Alley.” You will be missed. “With love, Parker.”
Alley, a Scientologist, did not leave her house in Clearwater, Florida, throughout her later years.
A touching tribute from John Travolta
“She’s done with LA,” a source told OK Magazine. “She’s happily disappeared into a quiet life in Clearwater, where she can also be more open about her beliefs.”
Another insider added: “Kirstie hasn’t worked in over a year, and she’s fine with that,” an insider previously said. “She has no plans on returning to Hollywood.”
Following Alley’s death, many people took to social media to pay their respects. John Travolta, who co-starred with Alley in the 1989 film Look Who’s Talking and its two sequels, was one of those who did.
Kelly Preston, the Grease star’s wife, died of cancer in 2020. Kelly Preston, Travolta’s wife, died of cancer in July 2020 at age 57.
“I love you, Kirstie,” Travolta wrote on Instagram. “I know we will see each other again.”
Throughout the years, the two had an exceptional bond. Alley said on Celebrity Big Brother that she once had a crush on John Travolta.
“He was potential marriage material. “I almost ran off and married John,” she said. “I did love him and still love him,’ she reflected. ‘And if I hadn’t been married, I would have married him.” “And I would have been on an airplane.”
Shutterstock
Kirstie commented on their romance in 2018.
“A beautiful mama bear”
“John would agree it was mutual that we sort of fell in love with each other,” Alley said of their relationship in 2018, adding that saying no to the romance was “one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do.”
She continued: “Because I was madly in love with him—we were fun and funny together.” It wasn’t a sexual relationship because I’m not going to cheat on my husband.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, who was in the 2016 horror show Scream Queens with Alley, also used social media to honor her.
“She was a great comic foil in Scream Queens and a beautiful mama bear in her real life.” “She helped me buy onesies for my family that year for Christmas,” Curtis recalled.
“We agreed to disagree about some things but had a mutual respect and connection.” Sad news.”
Rest in peace, Kirstie Alley.
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