Kirstie Alley, Emmy-Winning ‘Cheers’ Star, Dies at 71

Kirstie Alley, who won an Emmy for her role on Cheers and starred in films including Look Who’s Talking, died Monday (Dec. 5).

Alley died of cancer that was only recently discovered, her children True and Lillie Parker said in a post on Twitter. Alley’s manager Donovan Daughtry confirmed the death in an email to The Associated Press.

Alley was 71.

“As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother,” her children’s statement said.

She starred as Rebecca Howe on the NBC sitcom Cheers from 1987 to 1993, after the departure of original star Shelley Long.

She had her own sitcom on the network, Veronica’s Closet, from 1997 to 2000.