Why Did Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds Divorce? Inside Their Infamous Breakup
In the 1970s and '80s, both Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds were two of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Published Aug. 4 2025, 4:09 p.m. ET
Legendary actress Loni Anderson recently passed away and left a host of memories for her fans to treasure, courtesy of her decades-long career in film and television. As the tributes to her roll in, many are also recalling one of the biggest aspects of her personal life, which was her marriage to late superstar Burt Reynolds that ended in a very messy divorce.
In the 1970s and '80s, both Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds were two of the biggest names in Hollywood, with Burt holding down the fort starring in Academy Award-winning films such as Deliverance and Loni earning two Emmy nominations for her role in the CBS hit WKRP in Cincinnati.
Why did Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds divorce?
Like many high-profile Hollywood couples before them, Loni and Burt’s relationship had fans instantly invested years before they actually married. The couple started dating in 1982, one year after meeting on the set of The Merv Griffin Show, according to Us Weekly. In 1983, they appeared in the film Stroker Ace together. They married in 1988. They may have filed for divorce in 1993, but the messiness was just beginning.
What followed was a host of accusations on both sides, as Burt took public digs at Loni’s career, her skills as a mother, her astronomical spending habits, and her alleged infidelity, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t see how she can be in total shock when you have not … if your husband has not touched you in the biblical sense … in almost three years,” he said at the time, per the outlet. “How can you be surprised?”
Meanwhile, Loni, who chose to speak in 1995 after the divorce was officially finalized, shared her own side of what led to the collapse of their marriage. She revealed that Burt’s longtime drug addiction led to verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, and also cheating, per USA Today. "The physical abuse I always blamed on the drugs," Loni said. "Burt always said no one would ever believe me because he was Mr. Wonderful and the world loved him."
Despite their ugly split, Loni and Burt shocked fans when they walked out of divorce court smiling, hand-in-hand — but he continued to throw shots at her for several years to come, including in his 2015 memoir But Enough About Me. “I’m very happy that we were able to sell papers for a year and a half,” Burt said outside the courthouse at the time, per the Los Angeles Times. Why that doesn’t translate into money, I don’t know. ... I’m glad America is curious about us.”
What did Loni say about Burt following his death?
After he passed away in 2018, Loni, who adopted son Quinton in 1988 during their marriage, released a statement about his death.
"Quinton and I are extremely touched by the tremendous outpouring of love and support from friends and family throughout the world,” she said at the time, per USA Today. “He was a big part of my life for twelve years and Quinton's loving father for thirty years. We will miss him and his great laugh."