Kirstie Alley had been living silently with cancer for a short period of time before it tragically took her life.
Her children, True and Lillie Parker, said that their mother had been diagnosed with cancer “only recently.”
Keep scrolling for the full story…
Now, who hasn’t heard of Kirstie Alley?
She’s an award-winning actress, comedian, and spokesmodel.
She’s well-known by people for many things.
To her kids, she’s a great mom. To her friends, she’s a great friend.
But fans know her as Rebecca Howe from the NBC sitcom Cheers.
She also appeared in several other movies you may recognize, like Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Look Who’s Talking to only name a few.
Alley was born on January 12, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas.
Her breakthrough came in 1982 when she featured in the sitcom Cheers.
Alley attended Kansas State University, where she spent her time dedicating her career to drama.
She then moved to California, where she went on to become an interior decorator.
However, things started to look dull for the actress after moving.
She was lured into the partying lifestyle, where she entered a world of drug abuse.
Her parents were involved in a car accident by a drunk driver smashing into them.
As a result, the incident left her mom dead and her father seriously injured.
After the tragic moment in her life, Alley decided to leave her reckless lifestyle with drugs and partying.
She went under rehabilitation and embraced Scientology, a religious belief created by the writer L. Ron Hubbard.
She seeked out any roles she could get her hands on, but it was very difficult for her.
She ended up finding small roles in television game shows such as Match Game and Password Plus.
But when she landed the role in Star Trek, that’s when she started to get recognized by the public.
Her role in Star Trek was followed up by another major role in the television miniseries North and South.
But her rise to stardom truly came when she was featured in the NBC series Cheers.
It got much better for the actress as she was recognized by many people for her beauty and throaty voice, which earned her a Golden Globe and an Emmy award for her portrayal of the character Rebecca Howe.
Her appearance in the sitcom Cheers opened up many doors for her, as she went on to feature in the 1988 thriller Shoot to Kill.
She also had her first box-office hit with the comedy Look Who’s Talking in 1989.
The actress went on to win yet another Emmy Award in 1994 for the movie David’s Mother.
She also appeared in the NBC sitcom Veronica’s Closet in 1997.
Alley earned herself another Emmy after her supporting role in the miniseries The Last Don.
As well as finding huge success in movies, she garnered a lot of attention when it came to weight loss.
In 2005, Alley was featured in the unscripted comedy titled Fat Actress.
The sitcom focused on the media’s attention to celebrities’ weight.
Alley also shared her personal experiences in her 2005 book, How to Lose Your A** and Regain Your Life.
Over the years, Alley had struggled with weight loss, which was publicized highly publicized across the media.
Her struggle with weight loss lead her to Jenny Craig’s weight loss center.
She later appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, where she showed off her new body by donning a bikini.
Since then, Alley had served as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig until the end of 2007.
In 2008, Alley made headlines once more after she started to regain the weight she lost while on the Jenny Craig program.
She told PEOPLE in 2009 that she “fell off the horse” and would have to “work harder than last time” if she wanted to slim down again.
In order for her to achieve her dream body, she hired a trainer to help her meet her goals and developed the Organic Liaison weight loss system.
There’s no denying that Alley’s career has been remarkable.
But over the past twenty-four hours, Alley has hit the headlines with the tragic news of her passing.
Her children, True and Lillie, said in a 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.”
They continued: “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.”
They went on to praise Alley as a mother, grandmother, and actress, writing: “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
They concluded their statement by thanking fans for their love and support during the hard times.
“We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time.”
The statement was also shared on Alley’s Instagram page.
Alley sadly died at the age of seventy-one years old.
Rest in peace, Kirstie Alley.