After two years of media silence about her split from Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson finally opened up about their marriage and what led to their divorce. In 1995, she published her memoir “My Life in High Heels,” and it was full of what Entertainment Weekly called “tabloid-ready” tales. Some of them were saucy, while others were deeply disturbing. “[Reynolds] shoved me around, pushing me onto the floor,” Anderson claimed in one chapter. “Then he pulled out a gun and said, ‘Here, why don’t you kill yourself and do us all a favor?’”
Shortly after the memoir hit shelves, Anderson sat down with Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle and elaborated on her accusations of domestic violence. She revealed that she had been employing a temporary nanny to accompany her son to Florida when he visited his father. “I’m concerned about Burt’s erratic behavior,” she said. “Quinton is small and I want him to be protected.” According to Anderson, Quinton’s normal nanny would not go near the place because “Burt threw a chair at her.”
The former “WKRP in Cincinnati” star went on to say that she kept quiet at first because Reynolds convinced her that the public would side with him. “Burt always said no one would ever believe me because he was Mr. Wonderful and the world loved him.” When asked for a response, Reynolds’ publicist said that he had “no comment” and that “he wishes Loni nothing but the very best from this day on.”
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.