Valerie Harper has died after a longtime struggle with multiple illnesses. She was 80 years old.
The actress passed away shortly after 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, her daughter, Cristina, announced on Twitter. Harper’s husband, Tony Cacciotti, shared a heartfelt message in Cristina’s post, remembering his wife of 40 years as a “beautiful, caring” person who “will never, ever be forgotten.”
My dad has asked me to pass on this message: “My beautiful caring wife of nearly 40 years has passed away at 10:06am, after years of fighting cancer.
She will never, ever be forgotten. Rest In Peace, mia Valeria. -Anthony.”
— Cris (@cristicacci) August 30, 2019
Her death comes more than six years after doctors said she had as little as three months to live following a terminal diagnosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. She also faced battles with brain and lung cancer.
Harper rose to fame in the ’70s as the lovably quirky Rhoda Morgenstern on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and went on to reprise the role in her own spinoff series. Her portrayal of the iconic character resulted in four Emmys and a Golden Globe.
PHOTOS: Valerie Harper: A Look Back At The Beloved ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ and ‘Rhoda’ Star
She went on to compete on “Dancing with the Stars” even after her devastating prognosis, and maintained a positive outlook throughout her health journey. In 2014, she told People that she was “ready to go” despite wanting to “live to be 102.”
Harper’s family first confirmed the sad news of her loss to KABC-TV.
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