An icon. I remember the whole Burt and Loni fallout and felt bad for her.

Oddly enough I last saw her in the latest season of MST3K, where she appeared in the unspeakably bad "Munchie." She gave it her all!

 

On 8/3/2025 at 8:26 PM, Khan said:

Oh, poor Loni.  I still remember when the media tried to embarrass her during her nasty divorce battle with Burt, when Burt was clearly the "villain" in that situation.  I'm just glad she was able to find lasting happiness in the end with Bob Flick, because she deserved that.  May she RIP.

The '90s were the peak of endless ugly tabloid coverage. The whole thing was trashy. Loni kept her dignity as well as anyone could have. Burt was a deeply troubled man. I always remember Sally Field saying she was glad that he died before her autobiography came out.

I think Loni's only good role was WKRP, but what a role. And having a fling with Gary Sandy - good for her.

On 8/3/2025 at 7:06 PM, All My Shadows said:

Loni is a shock! When anyone from that generation of TV stars passes, it hurts so much. These are the people I watched in reruns through my whole childhood. They never lost that youthfulness, even as the years go on, and so when news like this hits, it just sucks.

Well said. The people on the shows you watched the most as a kid or teenager are the ones who stay the same in your mind. Any time the last few cast members from Alice have passed in recent years, it's made me feel heartbroken.

20 hours ago, Vee said:

An icon. I remember the whole Burt and Loni fallout and felt bad for her.

 

13 hours ago, DRW50 said:

The '90s were the peak of endless ugly tabloid coverage. The whole thing was trashy. Loni kept her dignity as well as anyone could have. Burt was a deeply troubled man. I always remember Sally Field saying she was glad that he died before her autobiography came out.

IA with both of you. 

To make matters worse, the media also raked her over the proverbial coals for joining the cast of "Nurses" around that time as well.  Did Loni take the job just for the money (as well as to salvage what was left of her reputation)?  Probably.  Were Witt/Thomas/Harris attempting to cash in on Loni's notoriety and save their dying show?  Probably.  But, my God, a paycheck is still a paycheck; and even if "Nurses" was a crap show, I think Loni still gave the show all she had to give it.  God knows she'd been in some real turkeys throughout her career, but I never, ever saw her phone in any performance.

Oh wow:

 

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Jonathan Kaplan, Emmy-Nominated Director of ‘ER’ and ‘The Accused,’ Dies at 77

R.I.P. Apollo 13 Astronaut Jim Lovell.

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/acting-nasa-administrator-reflects-on-legacy-of-astronaut-jim-lovell/



He was played by Tom Hanks in the Apollo 13 movie and had a cameo at the end.

So sad.

 

Danielle Spencer, Sassy Young Star of 'What's Happening!!,' Dies at 60 https://t.co/DTNZfj99ni

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 12, 2025

Aw....Dee.... 😞 She lived with so much pain throughout her life.

Rest in peace, Dr. Spencer.

Edited August 12Aug 12 by applcin

That IS sad news.  Danielle Spencer, Mabel King and Shirley Hemphill were such integral parts to "What's Happening!!"'s success.  Spencer, in particular, had extraordinary comedic timing for an actor of her age.  Nobody, but nobody, could deliver a sarcastic retort better than she could.  She will be missed.

29 minutes ago, Khan said:

That IS sad news.  Danielle Spencer, Mabel King and Shirley Hemphill were such integral parts to "What's Happening!!"'s success.  Spencer, in particular, had extraordinary comedic timing for an actor of her age.  Nobody, but nobody, could deliver a sarcastic retort better than she could.  She will be missed.

IA. A real scene stealer. Rest In Peace.

58 minutes ago, Khan said:

That IS sad news.  Danielle Spencer, Mabel King and Shirley Hemphill were such integral parts to "What's Happening!!"'s success.  Spencer, in particular, had extraordinary comedic timing for an actor of her age.  Nobody, but nobody, could deliver a sarcastic retort better than she could.  She will be missed.

Danielle's the performer I remember most from the show.

I had no idea just how much she'd suffered in her life. I hope all the animals she'd cared for over the years were there waiting for her, along with her friends and family.

More information from Danielle Spencer's mother about her final days. 😦

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/whats-happening-star-danielle-spencers-final-days-before-death/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=689c83f34a727d000156247e&utm_campaign=true_anthem_usweekly&utm_content=photo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawMJ69RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEyS1lEWFhUWW9HWWFBMUt2AR4T9aocbD0gxLEmfm87kI1WuGoWhjHfwJy4DEoxtt3-OymK7zZ7Ksw3A5AweQ_aem_w7qlA_DPluLXAED1K5mt_g

On 8/3/2025 at 4:03 PM, Faulkner said:

I enjoyed Loni so much and was so sad to hear about her passing. So many of her peers, Morgan Fairchild and Donna Mills among them, all said how kind and terrific she was. 

I’ll fondly think of her as Will Ferrell and Chris Katan’s mother in A Night at the Roxbury and as Denise Richard’s devious mother on Melrose Place. 
 

May her memory be a blessing. 

You know what I'll always remember about Loni (aside from her fantastic turn on "WKRP")?  Many years ago, when "Live with Kelly & Mark" was still "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee," Loni, who was a guest host one day, talked enthusiastically about her grandchild, proudly referring to herself as "Grandma Loni."  You don't see too many actresses on TV who are willing to admit they are grandmothers IRL, lol.

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