Kirstie Alley was battling colon cancer before dying at the age of 71 on Dec. 5, her rep revealed to People. The specifics of Kirstie’s disease were confirmed just hours after her kids revealed that she had passed away. Kirstie and her now ex-husband, Parker Stevenson, adopted her two children, William “True” Stevenson, 30, and Lillie Stevenson, 28, in 1992 and 1995, respectively. They announced her death via a statement on Kirstie’s Twitter page on the evening of Dec. 5.
True and Lillie described Kirstie as “incredible, fierce and loving” in their statement. They also revealed that she had “only recently discovered” her cancer. “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,” the statement read. “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
The siblings thanked the staff at Moffitt Cancer Center for caring for Kirstie in the lead up to her death. “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,” the pair concluded. “We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time.” Kirstie split from True and Lillie’s father, Parker, in 1997 and became a grandmother when True had a son in 2016.
Kirstie is best known for her roles in movies like Look Who’s Talking, It Takes Two and Drop Dead Gorgeous, as well as television shows like Cheers and Veronica’s Closet. Earlier this year, she was a contestant on season 7 of The Masked Singer. She also competed on Dancing With the Stars twice, coming in 2nd place for her first season and then 7th place when she returned for the All Stars season.