Tanya Roberts' Cause Of Death May Surprise You

It's been a confusing and heartbreaking few days for fans of actress Tanya Roberts. Many outlets reported that the That '70s Show and Charlie's Angels star was deceased as of the morning of Monday, January 4. However, it turns out that initial announcement was premature, and at the time of its release, Roberts was very much still alive (via People). Her longtime partner, Lance O'Brien, believed she'd passed away overnight and told her publicist, Mike Pingel, as much. Pingel then alerted the press, which led to the confusion.

Then, on Monday night, Tanya Roberts did, in fact, pass away at the age of 65 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. According to People, her death was once again confirmed by Pingel (for real, this time), who said in a statement that the actress suffered from "a urinary tract infection which spread to her kidney, gallbladder, liver and then blood stream."

In lieu of flowers, Roberts' family asks that donations in Roberts' honor be sent to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Millennials are likely familiar with Roberts from her role as Midge, mother to Laura Prepon's character Donna Pinciotti, on That '70s Show, but long before Roberts was a '70s mom she was starring opposite Roger Moore as a Bond girl in films like A View to Kill and The Man With the Golden Gun (via LA Times).

The Bronx-born actress got her start in the entertainment industry when she ran away from home at 15 to become a model (via New York Times). Her first onscreen role was in 1976's The Last Victim and only four years later she landed one of the roles she's most known for today, co-starring in the fifth and final season of Charlie's Angels (via Deadline). 

Although Roberts' final onscreen appearance was in 2005's Barbershop: The Series, she kept fans close even in her final days, hosting a series of live chats during the pandemic.