Shelley Duvall Dies at 75

Shelley Duvall , the actress behind The Shining's Wendy Torrance, which many consider to be her career-defining role, and Olive Oyl in the beloved live-action Popeye , has died. She was 75.

According to Dan Gilroy , her life partner of over 30 years, Duvall passed away in her sleep at home in Blanco, Texas. Her cause of death was noted to be complications from diabetes.

“My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us," Gilroy confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter . "Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley."

The actress' health had been a topic of conversation in recent years, with her struggle with mental illness coming to the forefront during a controversial interview with Dr. Phil McGraw in 2016. At the time, Duvall admitted, "I'm very sick. I need help," while sharing beliefs about Robin Williams ' death that were not based in reality.

After the interview, Vivian Kubrick , the daughter of The Shining director Stanley Kubrick , accused Dr. Phil and his team of "putting Shelley Duvall ‘on show’ while she is suffering from a pitiable state of ill health," adding, "Unquestionably, this is purely a form of lurid and exploitative entertainment – it’s appallingly cruel."

Dr. Phil's producers reportedly offered multiple treatment options that were declined by Duvall, and she later told THR that she agreed to be on the show before she "found out the kind of person [McGraw] is the hard way."

In 2023, McGraw admitted that he doesn't regret the interview , but he does "regret that it was promoted in a way that people thought was unbecoming."

Prior to disappearing from the spotlight after 2002's Manna from Heaven , Duvall had also starred in films like Nashville and Tale of the Mummy . Following her The Shining success, she launched two different production companies focusing on children's television.

After a 20-year hiatus, Duvall had recently returned to acting, starring in 2023's horror flick The Forest Hills . The experience, she said at the time of filming , had "been great," despite having "been a long time."

"Makes me want to do more acting," she added. "It's actually so much fun to act in a movie. I should appreciate every minute of it."

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