The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind for family, friends and fans of actress Tanya Roberts (A View to Kill), who had been hospitalized for nearly two weeks, after mysteriously collapsing on Christmas Eve. The actress, known for her work on shows such as Charlie’s Angels and That 70s Show, was falsely reported dead on Sunday evening by her representative and friend, Mike Pingel. While Monday morning brought the news that Roberts was still alive, the relief did not last long as the actress passed away later that same day.
According to Pingel, Roberts “had not been noticeably ill before she collapsed” on Christmas Eve, via The New York Times. The actress was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles by partner Lance O’Brien, who reported to Pingel that he felt her “slip-away” on Sunday evening, according to Deadline. This miscommunication led Pingel to draft an official press release that announced the actress’ death preemptively.
While taping an interview for Inside Edition on Monday morning, O’Brien received a call from hospital staff informing him that Roberts was still alive.
Though Pingel asserted that Roberts remained in “dire” condition, many chose to extrapolate hope from yesterday’s news that the actress remained alive at Cedars-Sinai. That 70s Show actor Ashton Kutcher (Dude Where’s My Car?, Punk’d) even made the rounds on Twitter, correcting his fellow cast members preemptive obituaries for the actress.
Unfortunately, the initial reports proved true on Monday evening when Roberts passed away at age 65. The actress’ cause of death is still unknown, though Inside Edition mentioned issues with the actress’ liver arose upon her hospitalization.
COVID-19 has certainly been on-the-mind as cases spike in Los Angeles, which is why Roberts’ representative found it important to clarify that the ailment that struck the actress was much more sudden and unpredictable. Since Roberts struggled to breath and remained on a ventilator until she passed away, the COVID-19 comparisons were likely to surface. Variety asserts that Roberts’ “cause of death is not understood to be related to COVID-19.”
The New York Times remembers Roberts as “the breathy-voiced actress who found fame in the 1980s as a detective on Charlie’s Angels.” Additionally, as a Bond Girl and iconic sitcom mom on That 70s Show, Roberts danced across many household screens and will be missed by fans and friends alike.