French-born singer and actress Claudine Longet, best known for her marriage to Andy Williams and for the 1976 shooting death of Olympic skier Spider Sabich, has died at 84.
Her death was confirmed Thursday by her nephew, Bryan Longet, per the Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death was immediately released.
Longet rose to fame in the 1960s as a singer and TV star, but her career became overshadowed by scandal after she fatally shot Sabich in Aspen, Colorado, in 1976. The highly publicized case drew national attention and became a major media spectacle.
Longet and Williams in 1972
Born on Jan. 29, 1942, in Paris, France, Longet began her career as a dancer before moving to the United States in the early 1960s. She gained widespread fame after marrying legendary singer Andy Williams in 1961. The couple became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable pairs and frequently appeared together on television specials and variety shows. They had three children before divorcing in 1975, though they remained close friends afterward.
As a performer, Longet released several pop and easy-listening albums throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, including hits like “Love Is Blue.” She also acted in TV series such as McHale’s Navy, The Name of the Game and The Bold Ones. Her soft singing voice and chic European image made her a popular figure during the era.
Her life changed dramatically in 1976 after the fatal shooting of Olympic skier Spider Sabich, her boyfriend at the time, at his Aspen, Colorado home. Longet claimed the gun accidentally discharged while Sabich was showing her how to use it. The case became a nationwide media sensation. She ultimately pleaded no contest to criminally negligent homicide and served a short sentence.
After the trial, Longet largely retreated from public life. She later settled in Aspen with her longtime partner, attorney Ron Austin, who had represented her during the case. Despite decades out of the spotlight, her name remained closely tied to one of Hollywood’s most talked-about true-crime scandals.
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