Debbie Reynolds, one of Hollywood’s sweethearts in the golden age of film, died on December 28, 2016 at the age of 84. She passed away just one day after her beloved daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, 60, died reportedly due to complications related to sleep apnea.
Many believe Reynolds died of a broken heart, as she and Fisher shared a deep and intimate mother-daughter bond. Reynolds’ official cause of death is listed as complications from a stroke, reportedly brought on by the immense grief and stress following her daughter Fisher’s death.
Reynolds had health issues in the years leading up to her passing. In her 2013 memoir, she wrote about suffering a mini-stroke and partial kidney failure, even having to miss the 2015 Academy Awards where she was awarded an honorary Oscar but was too sick to attend the ceremony.
In interviews, Fisher described her mother’s health complications. “It’s a lot of times terrifying, but watching my mother, who’s incredibly resilient, coping with certain health issues that she’s had,” she told National Public Radio months before Reynolds’ passing, as reported by The New York Times.
Reynolds grew up in Burbank, California. She reportedly stumbled into a career in Hollywood after her victory in a local beauty pageant earned her a contract with Warner Bros. She starred in movies like Singin’ in the Rain, Tammy and the Bachelor, How the West Was Won, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, the latter for which she received an Oscar nod.
As great as she was on-screen, she’s also attached to scandal. She was once close friends with Elizabeth Taylor, having been friends since they were teenagers. Reynolds married actor Eddie Fisher, and had two children (Carrie and Todd Fisher). She was blindsided when Eddie left her for Taylor.
When Taylor married Mike Todd in 1957, Fisher was in the role of best man and Reynolds was matron of honor to Taylor, even naming her son Todd in honor of the friendship. Almost four weeks after the birth of his namesake, Mike was killed in a plane crash, and Eddie flew to Taylor’s side to comfort her. He left Reynolds a month later to be with Taylor. Taylor and Eddie were married for nearly five years. The two women would later put their issues aside and became friendly years later.