Ed Asner"A beautiful woman, a wonderful actress, a great friend and with balls bigger than mine. -- via TwitterTopher Grace"I was so sad to hear that the amazing Valerie Harper passed away. RIP Valerie Harper." RIP Valerie Harper. RIP Valerie Harper."
Emmy Award-winning actress Valerie Harper has died, her family said Friday. The actress, who is best known for her role as Rhoda on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," died Friday morning, according to a statement from her husband, Tony Cacciotti, which was shared by their daughter on Twitter. In 2013, she revealed she was suffering from terminal brain cancer and had only three to six months to live. In the 1970s, Harper was cast in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" as Rhoda Morgenstern, a character that proved so popular, she got her own show: "Rhoda." Celebrities and friends paid tribute to the star after news of her death, including "Mary Tyler Moore" co-star, Ed Asner, who called her "a beautiful woman" and "a wonderful actress."
Buskey, a friend of the family for more than 20 years, said the family was not "providing details at this time." Harper was cast as Mary Richards' wisecracking best friend, Rhoda Morgenstern, and became so popular that she was spun off into her own show, "Rhoda," midway through the flagship program's run. The Rhoda character was originally conceived as an antagonist to Moore's Mary, but was eventually fashioned into her outspoken friend. Harper recalled MTM executive Grant Tinker fighting to maintain those qualities in the face of early network concerns that Rhoda was too abrasive. Harper returned to sitcoms in the mid-1980s with a self-titled show, "Valerie," which cast her as a mother raising her children.
LOS ANGELES - Valerie Harper, who scored guffaws and stole hearts as Rhoda Morgenstern on back-to-back hit sitcoms in the 1970s, has died. Longtime family friend Dan Watt confirmed Harper died Friday, adding the family wasn't immediately releasing any further details. Harper was a breakout star playing the lovable sidekick on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," then as the funny leading lady of the spinoff series, "Rhoda." In March 2013, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Harper appeared on Broadway and in feature films including "Freebie and the Bean" and "Chapter Two."
(CNN) - Valerie Harper's husband says he will not follow doctors' advice to put his wife in hospice care. Tony Cacciotti posted a note on his wife's official Facebook page Tuesday regarding her current medical state. Her family recently announced a GoFundMe account had been established to help pay for Harper's medical care. On Tuesday, her husband posted in his note that "For those of you who have been in this position, you will totally understand that 'it's hard letting go.'" "So as long as I'm able and capable, I'll be where I belong right beside her," Cacciotti wrote.
Valerie Harper's family is seeking financial help for her treatment as she continues to battle cancer. (CNN) - Valerie Harper's family is seeking financial help for her treatment as she continues to battle cancer. But according to the announcement of the GoFundMe campaign by her assistant Deanna on Harper's official Facebook page, the star is having a rough time of it. "Many of Valerie Harper's fans have asked how she is doing," the announcement read. "This GoFundMe account has been established to ensure she receives the best care possible."