Kirstie Alley, best known for her role as Rebecca Howe on "Cheers", has died. She was 71. Her children made the announcement in the following statement:
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. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.
We are grateful to the incredible team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care.
Our mother's zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave 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
Alley earned a Golden Globe for her role on "Cheers" in 1987 and 1991 and an Emmy in 1991. She also earned an Emmy for her role in "David's Mother" in 1994.
Other TV series she starred in included Veronica's Closet (1997-2000), Fat Actress (2005), Kirstie (2013-2014), and Scream Queens (2015-2016). She also was the subject of a reality series, titled Kirstie Alley's Big Life (20100, and competed on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2011, and season 7 of "The Masked Singer" in 2022. Her film credits include "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982), "Summer School" (1987), "Look Who's Talking" (1989), "It Takes Two" (1995), and "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999).
She was remembered by her "Cheers" co-stars including Ted Danson, who said, "I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of Cheers. It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she desperately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny. She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh. I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her."
Kelsey Grammer also paid tribute to her saying, "I always believed grief for a public figure is a private matter, but I will say I loved her."
