In a year that has seen so many entertainment icons taken from us, another beloved Hollywood star has passed away.Florence Henderson, who played the iconic TV matriarch Carol Brady on the hit seriesThe Brady Bunch, hasdiedat the age of 82. The actress' publicistDavid Brokawconfirmed that she passed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, with her family confiring that she succumbed to heart failure. Here’s whatDavid Brokawhad to say in a brief statement about his client’s passing.
“She was quite active until she started not feeling well several days ago. It was felt that she would just bounce back from it.”
The New York Timesbroke the news on theactress' passing.Florence Hendersonwas born June 05, 2025 in Dale, Indiana, the youngest of 10 children born to a tenant farmer namedJoseph Hendersonand his wife, a homemaker namedElizabeth Henderson. The family often struggled with money, withFlorence Hendersonrecalling that she started working at the age of 8, babysitting, cleaning homes or even performing songs in exchange for groceries. She was brought up as a Roman Catholic, attending St. Frances Academy in Owensboro, Kentucky, where she learned how to sing the Latin Mass and other various Gregorian chants.
During her time at St. Francis,Florence HendrsonbefriendedChristine Johnson, a formerBroadway actresswho suggested that she study acting and singing. With the help of a friend’s wealthy father, she made it to New York City, where she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts for a year, before she was cast in the musical comedyWish You Were Herein 1952, which centered on a summer camp for adults. She ended up leaving that role early when she was cast as the female lead in the national touring production ofOklahoma!. Her theater work lead to several TV appearances on music-driven shows likeThe Bell Telephone Hour,Oldsmobile Music TheaterandThe Dean Martin Show. She was also a regular onThe Tonight Show, and in between the hosting tenures ofJack PaarandJohnny Carson, she became the show’s first ever female guest host.
While filming the movieSong of Norwayin 1969,Florence Hendersonwas asked to play Carol Brady in thepilot episodeof a new series entitledThe Brady Bunch. The show ran for five seasons between 1969 and 1974, but its legacy lived on far beyond its initial run on the small screen.Florence Hendersonwould return to reprise her role as Carol Brady inThe Brady Bunch Variety Hourin 1976, the 1981 TV spin-offThe Brady Brides, the 1988 TV movieA Very Brady Christmas, the 1990 spin-off seriesThe Bradysand the 1995 feature filmThe Brady Bunch Movie, although she did not return for the 1996 follow-upA Very Brady Sequel. Here’s what she had to say about the show to its detractors in an interview, defending the show’s wholesome plots and family life.
“It was really a show that was seen through the eyes of a child, and it was supposed to have a little soft glow about it.”
Florence Henderson marriedIra Bernstein, a Broadway casting director and general manager, in 1956, while she starred in the hit playFanny, but they divorced in 1985. She then married Dr.John Kappasin 1987, who had introduced her to hypnotherapy, until he passed away in 2002. The actress is survived by two daughters, Barbara and Elizabeth; two sons, Joseph and Robert; and five grandchildren. We have collected a number of tweets below from several members of theentertainment communityafter work ofFlorence Henderson’s death broke. Take a look at these tweets below as the world mourns the loss ofFlorence Henderson, including tributes from herBrady Bunchco-starsMaureen McCormickandBarry Williams.
