Farrah Fawcett, one of the biggest sex symbols of the 1970s, died Thursday after battling cancer. She was 62. "After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," longtime companion Ryan O'Neal said. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."
Best known for role as Jill in TV's Charlie's Angels, she was also one of the top-selling poster beauties of all time. She left the Angels after one season, and won critical acclaim a few years later in for her performance as an abused wife in 1984's "The Burning Bed." "Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels," co-star Jaclyn Smith said.
Fellow Angel Cheryl Ladd's statement added that "She was incredibly brave, and God will be welcoming her with open arms."
The beauty appeared in Playboy magazine at age 50, with a video feature as well. A UCLA Medical Center employee pleaded guilty in late 2008 to violating federal medical privacy law for commercial purposes for selling records of Farrah to the National Enquirer. Her struggle with the disease was officially recorded in the NBC television documentary "Farrah's Story."
Her on-again-off-again relationship with Ryan O'Neal was rekindled since she found that she had the disease, and he constantly by her side while going through the ordeal of treatment all over the world. Ryan asked her to marry him, and they had planned on a ceremony if she survived this visit to the hospital.
Born Feb. 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas, she was named Mary Farrah Leni Fawcett.