Bombshell Raquel Welch, whose full name is Jo Raquel Tejada, has passed away peacefully at her home in Los Angeles, California, after a brief illness. She was 82 years old.
In a statement to the media, her manager, Steve Sauer went on to say “Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs. Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter Tahnee Welch.”
Welch was born on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. She found fame over the decades starring in movies like Fantastic Voyage, Bedazzled, and One Million Years B.C., which, thanks to that iconic doe skin bikini, solidified her status as an international sex symbol. Welch later went on to star in The Three Musketeers, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for the Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
Celebs have come out to mourn this loss, with Reese Witherspoon posting to her a photo to her Instagram with the caption: “So sad to hear about Raquel Welch’s passing. I loved working with her on Legally Blonde. She was elegant , professional and glamorous beyond belief. Simply stunning. May all her angels carry her home.” Witherspoon and Welch starred together in Legally Blonde.
Christopher Meloni of Law & Order SVU fame tweeted “Raquel Welch dying is a very weird feeling.”
The exact cause of death has not yet been released.