How Did Peggy Lipton Die? New Details On The Death Of Rashida Jones' Mom At 72
She was 72 years old.
getty When Hollywood legends die, we can’t help but feel our own sense of loss and grief. And this past weekend, we lost yet another one: Peggy Lipton. On May 11, she passed away, surrounded by loved ones.
But how did Peggy Lipton die? Back in 2004, she was diagnosed with colon cancer, and ultimately passed away from the disease, which is the second leading cause of death among men and women in the U.S.
According to statistics, the five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with colorectal cancer is 5 percent, and with localized colorectal cancer, it’s 90 percent. It’s a blessing that Lipton was able to survive more than 10 years after her original diagnosis.
Despite this, it’s still tragic and sad that such a talented actress and mother could pass away, especially on the day before Mother’s Day.
Her daughters with Quincy Jones, actresses Rashida Jones and Kidada Jones, released a statement to the Los Angeles Times: “She made her journey peacefully with her daughters and nieces by her side. We feel so lucky for every moment we spent with her... We can’t put all of our feelings into words right now but we will say: Peggy was, and will always be our beacon of light, both in this world and beyond. She will always be a part of us.”
While people of this generation probably aren’t familiar with Lipton and her acting credentials, she was part of the groundbreaking show, The Mod Squad, which was one of the first shows to feature an interracial cast. The show dealt with “the growing counterculture movement of the time,” and covered topics like abortion, drugs, the Vietnam War, and domestic violence.
The show led to a 1971 Golden Globe award and four Emmy nominations. However, Lipton struggled with fame. In a 1993 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she revealed, “I never saw myself as trend-setting. We were always working. Fame really drove me into my house. I was very paranoid. I didn’t like going out. I had no idea how to be comfortable with the press. I was very young. It was really hard for me.”
After The Mod Squad, she started her singing career, but gave up acting to be a mother and wife. In 1974, she married music producer Quincy Jones, and focused on raising their two daughters, both of whom eventually went on to become actresses. (You know Rashida Jones from Parks and Recreation and Angie Tribeca.)
But her marriage also came with backlash, mostly from racists — and even her own mother.
In her 2005 memoir, Breathing Out, Lipton revealed that she was pregnant with a child with Jones, and her mother was unapproving; Lipton had an abortion, saying, “She thought I was going to be with a white Prince Charming or some great Jewish king. She couldn’t envision my life with a black man and mixed-race babies.”
Once the couple divorced in 1989, with the two remaining close over the years, Lipton returned to acting and appeared as Norma Jennings in Twin Peaks.
“It was very scary. I had a push-pull thing inside me that I wanted to do it... I had become so insulated in my world as a mother, that I didn’t know how to pick up the phone and call anybody to put myself out there,” she said in the same 1993 interview.
Aside from her appearance on Twin Peaks, Lipton was also in multiple movies, including A Dog’s Purpose, and When in Rome; she starred in television shows as well: Crash, Alias, and the 2017 Twin Peaks revival. She also appeared in Rashida’s show, Angie Tribeca, playing her off-screen daughter’s on-screen mother!
Former co-stars, fans, and friends took to Twitter to express their grief and remember Lipton
May she rest in peace.
Samantha Maffucci is an 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.