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Mary Tyler Moore dead: Emmy-award winning 1970s sitcom star dies aged 80

The American actress had been suffering from diabetes for many years

Justin Carissimo
New York
Wednesday 25 January 2017 20:43 GMT
The actress at an awards ceremony in 2006
The actress at an awards ceremony in 2006

Actress Mary Tyler Moore died on Wednesday in Greenwich, Connecticut. She was 80-years-old.

Ms Moore's family announced that her death was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest after she contracted pneumonia.

The seven-time Emmy Award winner battled diabetes over the years and had been breathing through a respirator for more than a week, a source told TMZ.

She was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 33 when she began starring in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which told the story of a young, independent woman working in a Minneapolis newsroom.

The sitcom aired from 1970 to 1977, and was a hit for CBS. Ms Moore's role earned her four of her seven Emmy Awards for her depiction of a single, career woman who was hailed by feminists and fans of the sitcom.

“When the doctor said I had diabetes, I conjured images of languishing on a chaise longue nibbling chocolates,” she told USA Today in 2009. “I have no idea why I thought this.”

Ms Moore was born in the New York City neighbourhood of Brooklyn Heights in 1936 to George and Marjorie Tyler Moore. When she was just 8-years-old, her family made the move to Los Angeles.

After the reports of Ms Moore’s death surfaced, Hollywood mourned the actress on social media.

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