Kirstie Alley, the beloved actress, died in 2022 at the age of 71.

Alley’s family announced on her Instagram profile that she had succumbed to cancer.

Not long later, her family issued a lengthy statement with further facts about Kirsties’ last hours alive, and it was a painful read.

Kirstie Alley rose to prominence after appearing on the sitcom Cheers, and she went on to feature in a number of great films as well as being a fan favorite on Dancing With The Stars.

Kirstie Alley’s childhood
Her childhood was a wild ride. She was born in Wichita, Kansas, on January 12, 1951.

She graduated from Wichita Southeast High School and went on to study acting at Kansas State and Kansas University. Her early days, however, were tainted by narcotics.

“The truth about how I escaped Kansas is that I was high.” I’d been drugged out of my mind… “I got in my car and drove to California,” she told Parade.

“I would never have been able to realize my dream if I hadn’t been drugged out.” It may seem ridiculous, but getting out of Wichita, Kansas, takes some effort.”

“With reality shows and other shows like that on TV now, people may feel a little more hopeful that they can make a name for themselves.” But at that time, 30 years ago, it was simply like, ‘How could I ever dare to dream that I could go be a star? ‘ How could I have thought that?’ That’s more of a Midwest thing; you’re humbled, and if you’re not, people will humble you, like, “Well, who the hell do you think you are to move to California and become a star?” “Come on, Kirstie,” she said.

Alley left Wichita to seek a career as an actor in California. She began as an interior designer, but the party lifestyle was too much for her.

She went through a turbulent phase in which she tried several substances and surrounded herself with the wrong people. Then tragedy hit her family in 1981.

Begin a performing career and relocate to Hollywood.
Alley’s mother was killed and her father was critically injured when a drunk driver struck their vehicle. Of course, it was a painful experience for the young woman. Years later, the intoxicated driver who caused the collision expressed interest in meeting Kirstie. However, the actress was uninterested.

“I understand why Kirstie doesn’t want to talk to me,” the inebriated driver said. “But if she changed her mind, I would tell Kirstie and her father how truly sorry I am for what happened that night and the pain I caused them.”

Kirstie’s life was forever altered when her mother died. She altered her lifestyle, stopped using drugs, and went through recovery. She also became a member of the Church of Scientology.

She received her first assignment in 1982. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, she played half-Vulcan officer Saavik, which proved to be her breakout role.

Alley was cast as Gloria Steinem in the TV movie A Bunny’s Tale a few years later. She also appeared in the 1985 miniseries North and South, opposite Hollywood great Patrick Swayze.

They weren’t the most important parts, but they got Kirstie into the limelight in Hollywood. Then, in 1987, she landed the role that would transform her life: Rebecca Howe in the comedy Cheers.

Kirstie Alley’s success on ‘Cheers’ and other projects
Cheers catapulted Alley to new heights of celebrity, garnering her praise from both fans and reviewers. She received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical) in 1991, as well as an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Following her departure from Cheers in 1993, Alley appeared in a number of major projects, including David’s Mother, for which she won a second Emmy Award. In 1997, she participated in the comedy Veronica’s Closet as well as the drama miniseries The Last Don.

The actress will also be known for her roles in films such as Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which she co-starred with Ellen Barkin.

During the final 10 years of her life, Alley performed in several shows. When she joined the TV dance program Dancing with the Stars in 2012, the American public witnessed a new side of her. She and her dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished second on the program, and she was asked back later that year to compete in the All-Star competition.

Kirstie had a happy personal life throughout it all. She met her second husband, actor Parker Stevenson, and they married in 1983. They adopted a boy named William and a daughter named Lillie.

Alley and Stevenson filed for divorce in 1997.

Kirstie was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2017. Speaking frankly about it, the actress said that she had gained a lot of weight as a result of the borrelia bacteria-caused sickness.

Kirstie Alley’s weight-loss journey is inspiring.
“I wouldn’t eat two cookies if I made them.” I’d eat 12 cookies! And I’ve really gone off the deep end… I began drinking 12 grape drinks every day. “I was consuming a lot of sugar!” she said.

Alley’s weight problems, though, predated that. In 2004, she said that she had “gained around 40 or 50 pounds” in one summer.

“Honestly, I had no idea how big I was,” she said. “Thanks to the tabloids, I went, ‘Damn, girl, you’re fat!'”

Perhaps it was that encounter that inspired her to create her new comedy series. Fat Actress was released one year after that chat with Oprah.

Kirstie Alley was the protagonist, and the series was partially based on her own life; it follows an actress in Hollywood whose weight reduction is the target of every tabloid conceivable.

“I think women across the country will identify with her,” said co-creator Brenda Hampton to TODAY in 2004.

“Losing weight and finding a relationship are difficult no matter where you live.” It’s far more difficult when you’re in the limelight.”

Things proceeded quickly after obtaining aid from the Jenny Craig weight-loss program. Kirstie discovered a happy medium and slowly reduced her weight for three years. She then lost 75 pounds as a result of the program and worked as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig until 2007.

“No surgery, no flippin’ lasers.”
Kirstie had gained weight again by the time she was cast on Dancing With the Stars in 2011. She weighed 230 pounds before the program began, according to People.

Despite this, she had lost almost 100 pounds by the conclusion of the tournament. Kirstie worked exceptionally hard to attain success on the dance floor, according to all reports.

Unfortunately, among TV watchers, the criticism was loud. Some suspected that Kirstie had undergone surgery or starved herself in order to look good for the show. On Twitter, Kirstie reacted to the haters:

“NO surgery, NO lasers, NO barfing, NO starvation… “Jeez… my products, organic food, dance,” she said on Twitter a few months after the program ended.

Alley’s final project was in 2020, when she starred in the television film You Can’t Take My Daughter.

Kirstie Alley’s Cause of Death and Final Hours
Kirstie Alley died of cancer at the age of 71 on Monday, December 5, 2022, according to her family.

Her cancer was “only recently” found, according to her relatives. According to a spokesman for the actress, Kirstie died of colon cancer after a short battle with the disease.

“To all our friends all throughout the globe, we regret to tell you that our beautiful, feisty, and beloved mother died away after a brief struggle with cancer. She was surrounded by her closest relatives and battled valiantly, leaving us with the confidence of her never-ending pleasure in life and whatever experiences were ahead,” according to the statement.

“As famous as she was on screen, she was an even better mother and grandmother.” We are thankful to the Moffitt Cancer Center’s amazing team of physicians and nurses for their care. Our mother’s love for life, her children, grandkids, and numerous animals, not to mention her unending delight in creating, were unequaled and encouraged us to live life to the fullest as she did. We appreciate your love and prayers, and we ask that you respect our privacy at this terrible time. Always with love, Lillie Parker and True.”

Her ex-husband, Parker Stevenson, paid homage to her on Instagram.

“To Kirstie, “I am so grateful for our years together and for our two incredibly beautiful children and now grandchildren,” he said with a photo of Alley. “You will be sorely missed.” Parker, with love,”

Alley, a Scientologist, did not leave her house in Clearwater, Florida, throughout her latter years.

John Travolta’s touching homage
“She’s done with LA,” an OK Magazine insider said. “She’s happily disappeared into a quiet life in Clearwater, where she can also be more open about her beliefs.”

“Kirstie hasn’t worked in over a year, and she’s fine with that,” another source previously said. “She has no intention of ever returning to Hollywood.”

Following Alley’s death, many people rushed to social media to pay their respects. John Travolta, who co-starred with Alley in the 1989 picture Look Who’s Talking and its two sequels, was one of those who did.

Kelly Preston, the Grease star’s wife, died of cancer in 2020. Kelly Preston, Travolta’s wife, died of cancer in July 2020 at the age of 57.

“I love you, Kirstie,” Travolta captioned a photo of herself on Instagram. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

Throughout the years, the two had an exceptional bond. Alley said on Celebrity Big Brother that she had a crush on John Travolta at one time.

“He was suitable for marriage.” “I almost ran away and married John,” she said. “I did and still do love him,” she recalled. ‘And if I hadn’t been married, I’d have married him. And I’d have been on an aircraft.”

Kirstie expanded on their romance in 2018.

“A beautiful mama bear”
“John would agree that it was mutual that we sort of fell in love with each other,” Alley said of their affair in 2018, adding that declining the romance was “one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do.”

“Because I was madly in love with him—we were fun and funny together,” she said. There was no sexual connection since I would never cheat on my spouse.”

Jamie Lee Curtis, with whom she co-starred in the 2016 horror series Scream Queens, also turned to social media to pay respect to Alley.

“She was a fantastic comic foil in Scream Queens and a stunning mama bear in real life.” “She assisted me in purchasing onesies for my family for Christmas that year,” Curtis recounted.

“We agreed to disagree on some issues but maintained mutual respect and connection.” “I have bad news.”