Legendary Actress Cindy Williams Passes Away at 75

On January 30, Cindy's children, Zak and Emily Hudson, announced the movie star's demise in a statement released through the family's spokeswoman Liza Cranis. They stated that Cindy passed away peacefully after a brief illness.

The pair also disclosed that the demise of their kind and funny mother brought overwhelming sadness that could never be truly expressed. Zak and Emily also noted that knowing and loving Cindy was a joy and privilege.

According to them, the actress was one of a kind, beautiful, generous, and possessed a brilliant sense of humor with a glittering spirit everyone loved. In addition, the pair admitted that the family would always be proud of Cindy.

Zak and Emily finished the statement by praying that the laughter Cindy brought to everyone's face remained, further thanking the public for loving the entertainment icon as much as she loved them.

Since the news of Cindy's death broke on the internet, many celebrities have taken to social media to pay tribute to the movie star. Publicist Danny Derany noted he was sad to hear about the actress's death.

Danny also mentioned that if there was an afterlife, he hoped that Cindy and Penny would pour a Shotz beer, Milk, and Pepsi with Garry, David, Eddie, and Phil. Other tributes poured in from Rosario Dawson, Ming-Na Wen, and many others.

Throughout Cindy's career, she was privileged to appear in many movies. However, the actress was best known for her role on the popular ABC series Laverne & Shirley, which ran from 1976 to 1983.

The sitcom was born out of an episode of Happy Days in 1975, a show in which Cindy appeared as Shirley Feeney alongside Penny Marshall, who portrayed Laverne DeFazio. 

Cindy and Penny were so amazing on screen that ABC hired the pair for their spin-off show, which debuted the following year. Laverne & Shirley told the story of two roommates, Laverne and Shirley, who struggled to make ends meet while trying to find Mr. Right.

Away from their amazing performances on television, Cindy and Penny also formed a close bond and often spoke about their beautiful connection during interviews.

Penny even spoke so highly of Cindy to place her as the more talented one in their famed collaboration. Sadly, Penny preceded her colleague in death, having passed away in November 2018, aged 75.

Besides the legendary ABC sitcom, Cindy bagged acting credits in productions like George Lucas' 1973 American Graffiti and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation from 1974.

The actress's portrayal of Laurie, the girlfriend of Ron Howard's character Steve, in American Graffiti earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Cindy also received other recognitions, including awards, throughout her career.

In addition to her work life, Cindy was a family woman. She was married to Bill Hudson from 1982 to 2000, and they shared two children. May her soul rest in peace.