Carrie Fisher, the actress best known as “Star Wars” Princess Leia Organa, has died at 60, according to her daughter’s publicist.
Billie Lourd released a statement through her spokesman on Tuesday that said: “It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.
Fisher was flying from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she suffered a medical emergency. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital. Though the Los Angeles Fire Department didn’t identify they patient, the department said it responded to a patient suffering from cardiac arrest on that flight.
Debbie Reynolds, Fisher’s mother, wrote on Facebook Tuesday afternoon about her daughter’s passing. “Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop. Love Carries Mother.”
On Sunday, Reynolds tweeted that Fisher was stable. “Carrie is in stable condition. If there is a change, we will share it. For all her fans & friends. I thank you for your prayers & good wishes.”
However, she died Tuesday morning.
Fisher was known for her role in “Star Wars,” and her co-star and onscreen brother Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, tweeted, “No words #Devastated.”
Fisher made her feature film debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 hit “Shampoo” and was also an accomplished author who detailed her experiences with addiction and mental illness in several best-selling books.
Fisher long battled drug addiction and mental illness. She said she smoked pot at age 13, used LSD by 21 and was first diagnosed as bipolar at age 24. She was treated with electroconvulsive therapy and medication.
Besides her daughter, Fisher is survived by her brother, Todd Fisher, and her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds. Her father, singer Eddie Fisher, died in 2010.
