How Did Katherine Helmond Die? New Details About The Death Of 'Who's The Boss?' Actress At 89
She was 89 years old.
getty For those of us who grew up in the 1980s, Katherine Helmond was a welcome face on Who’s The Boss? Her character, Mona, was unheard of at the time, as she was a sexually progressive, middle-aged woman, who dated all sorts of men. It was her feisty attitude that set her and the show apart from other television programming.
Helmond also played Jessica Tate on the sitcom Soap, though this character was described as sheltered and naive, though flirtatious and prone to male attention. And, if you were a fan of 90s sitcoms, she also had a recurring role as Debra’s mother on Everybody Loves Raymond. She was most known for her red hair and hilarious characters, and made millions of people laugh.
Unfortunately, on February 23rd, the actress passed away. But how did Katherine Helmond die? Though her passing wasn’t announced until the end of February, she died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in her Los Angeles home.
Her former castmates took to social media to mourn her passing, with Alyssa Milano and Tony Danza posting tributes to the late actress.
The cast of Who’s The Boss? had reunited in 2016 for a cast photo shoot, and Danza and Danny Pintauro also posted photos from the shoot to remember their former co-star.
Danza also expressed his grief to Deadline, saying, “I was in love with her. She was such an influence on me. From being a single guy with a hit show in Hollywood, though my marriage and having kids — she was with me. No matter what problem I had, I could go to her. Very few people could match her... We luckily got Jessica from Soap. Oh my God, we hit the lottery. She was a consummate professional — never made a mistake and always got the laugh. She was the sexy older lady who could keep up with the young people. She just had a way about her.”
Helmond’s husband of 57 years, David Christian, also released a statement. Heartbroken, he said, “She was the love of my life. We spent 57 beautiful, wonderful, loving years together, which I will treasure forever. I’ve been with Katherine since I was 19 years old. The night she died, I saw that the moon was exactly half-full, just as I am now... half of what I’ve been my entire adult life.”
Fans and former co-stars will never forget Helmond and the impact she had on American television.
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.