Fans Urge ‘70s Television Icon To ‘Stop Doing’ Cosmetic Surgery That’s Turning Her Into A ‘Cartoon Character’

Oct 21, 2024 by apost team

Loni Anderson was a household name for anyone who owned a television in the 1970s. Although she has taken on a multitude of roles in her career, she won over the hearts of Americans by playing her famous character Jennifer Marlowe on the smash-hit CBS sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati." This pivotal show ran from 1978 to 1982. It focused on the rollercoaster of financial and emotional struggles at a fictional Ohio radio station. Anderson has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy awards and has since been a beloved face on TV screens. 

Anderson was born on Aug. 5, 1945, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her mother was a model, while her father was an environmental chemist. In high school, Anderson clearly stood out, and she was even voted queen of her Valentine’s Day winter formal in the early 1960s.  

Although she started in a humble town, Anderson found her way to Hollywood at a young age. Her acting debut was a particularly star-studded affair, as she played opposite Steve McQueen in “Nevada Smith.” Although this 1966 film is forgotten by many, it was the catalyst that jump-started her down a decades-long path of success.

The actress went on to receive plenty of fame and recognition for her career. Along with a treasured professional life, Anderson also made waves for being a beautiful person inside and out. Anderson is currently 79 years old but hasn't lost an ounce of her beauty or charm, as she has mastered looking youthful at any and every age. Read on to learn more about Anderson and her life today.

After an association with McQueen was formed, Anderson seemingly never struggled to find work. She had roles in “S.W.A.T.,” “Police Woman,” “Harry O,” Phyllis” and many others. She was a staple of TV throughout the '60s and '70s. You would have struggled to find an American who didn't know her face by heart. 

However, her most famous role came after she captured the attention of an ABC executive. That was when she landed her role as Jennifer Marlowe on the very popular CBS sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati." This pivotal show ran for several years and even helped Anderson achieve critical acclaim.

The glamorous bombshell had an exciting personal life as well. She has two children and has been married four times. She was even married to Burt Reynolds before a disagreement over his portrayal of Turd Ferguson ended their marriage. The Los Angeles Times even coined their separation as "the ugly divorce that just wouldn’t end." Their marriage began in April of 1988, and then, only a mere five years later, the divorce papers were filed. It took a whopping 22 years for the couple to sever their financial ties to each other completely, and unfortunately, the divorce was a very public affair. 

In 2008, she married her self-acclaimed soul mate, musician Bob Flick. However, her life hasn't been all perfect. In 2009, her daughter, Deidra Hoffman, was revealed to have multiple sclerosis, a disease that breaks down the insulation of the nerves in the body. This is on top of the fact that both Anderson and her daughter have symptoms of asthma as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke, according to Parade.

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In an interview with Parade in 2015, Anderson revealed a lot about her exercise habits and diet preferences. She prefers a plant-based diet consisting mostly of fruits and vegetables. She told the outlet:

"I didn’t get into a regular exercise routine until my late 30s...I was an unfit skinny person. Now I do cardio three times a week, and also weight training, plus I walk a lot...I’m eating a version of the Mediterranean and Paleo Diets. I don’t eat red meat any longer, but do eat some chicken and fish, lots of fruits and vegetables, and nothing in a can or a box."

Beyond her plant-based diet, she believes that a positive outlook on life is a huge factor in staying healthy. She went on in her Parade interview to talk about mental health:

"Sometimes it’s hard to maintain mental balance when life goes up and down. It feels like around every corner something is going to come out and get you. I don’t know anybody who gets bypassed. I like to get up in the morning and say, “What a great day! I’m so glad we are here today.” Then I make the best of it as the day flies by…"

Anderson has also admitted to being quite at peace with aging, and in an interview with Closer Weekly, she talked about how society needs to change the way it thinks about grandmothers. Anderson told Closer Weekly:

“I was never really interested in playing traditional, sensible-shoe-wearing, rocking-chair grandmas.”

She added: “I’m not saying traditional is boring, but I’m a grandma and the women around me are, too. We’re different from that stereotype, so it’s time to change the face of what grandmas look like!”

Despite being in her 70s, Anderson’s career is still going strong. In 2023, she starred in the television movie “Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas” alongside other icons of the era, such as Morgan Fairchild, Donna Mills and Linda Gray. The film centers around five actresses who starred together in a 1980s soap opera and their dramatic reunion at a Christmas special many decades later. 

Before its release in December 2023, Anderson attended a charity event in Beverly Hills, California, where she elaborated on how Hollywood has changed since her heyday in the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, a video of her at the event garnered attention for a far more negative reason. Users were quick to react to the star’s looks, with many judging her for what they perceived as an extreme amount of cosmetic enhancements.

“That much plastic surgery and Botox above the shoulders. Vanity is not a good sleep partner…” one user said, while another wrote: “Aging gracefully is preferable to disfiguring one’s self like this. I like Loni but this is just *sad*.”

“She looks like a caricature of herself it's awful. The wig hair, makeup its still the same nobody ages gracefully anymore. Chase that youth but its gone baby gone!” a user critiqued, as another similarly remarked: “Why???? She had such beautiful features naturally,,, wow i just cant understand how in their minds this looks better to her???? She was gorgeous,,, and aging is fine, ita beautiful in its own right,,, stop doing this.”

“She used to be so beautiful. Heartbreaking what women do to themselves to try to look perfect. If they would only see themselves as beautiful the way God made them,” a disappointed fan said, as others compared her to a “cartoon character” and a “marionette made out of wood.”

However, one user defended Anderson and said:

“You hold women to impossible standards and then mock them when they damage themselves trying to achieve the impossible. When will you folks be happy?”

What do you think of Loni Anderson’s looks today? Has she aged well since her television heyday? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones, too.