Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley Star, Dies at 75

Cindy Williams, one-half of the lead duo behind ABC’s hit Laverne & Shirley sitcom, has died. The actor’s family announced Williams’ passing Monday evening through a statement obtained by the Associated Press. According to the family, Williams died last Wednesday after a brief illness, though an exact cause of death was not released. She was 75.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the statement read. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

Best known for her work on Laverne & Shirley, the actor got her start in Hollywood in the early 1970s after starring in American Graffiti and The Conversation from George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, respectively. In 1976, Williams then starred on the Happy Days spinoff that ran from 1976 to 1983.

Penny Marshall, the other half the eponymous duo, passed away in 2018 due to complications from diabetes. Marshall was also 75 at the time of her death.

Williams is survived by her children, Emily and Zak Hudson, whom she had with her ex-husband Bill Hudson.