Claudine Longet, Singer and Actress at Center of High-Profile 1970s Manslaughter Trial, Dies at 84

French-born singer and actress, Claudine Longet, whose career was overshadowed by a highly publicized manslaughter trial in the 1970s, has died at the age of 84.

News of Longet’s death was confirmed on May 14 by her nephew, Bryan Longet, however, the cause of death was not disclosed.

“You have been a true inspiration in my life and you will always be,” he wrote in a social media post. “Another star in the sky. Thank you for everything, my aunt.”

“My thoughts are with my French-American family,” the post continued. “I will continue to honor your memory.”

Born in Paris, France, in 1942, Longet trained as a dancer and worked in a Las Vegas revue before transitioning into acting and music. She became a familiar face on American television after marrying singer and entertainer Andy Williams in 1961.

Longet often appeared on her husband’s NBC variety program, “The Andy Williams Show,” and later did so with their three children. Other television credits include “McHale’s Navy,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Combat!,” and “Run for Your Life.”

She built a recording career that included several albums, such as “Claudine” and the widely recognized song “Nothing to Lose” from the 1968 comedy “The Party,” in which she starred alongside Peter Sellers.

Longet also had chart-topping success with four of her singles, including “Love is Blue” and “Hello Hello,” reaching the Billboard Hot 100.

By the 1970s, Longet’s public image began to take a turn as her marriage to Williams collapsed. The couple officially divorced in 1975, and she began dating Olympic skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich after the pair first met in 1972 at a celebrity skiing exhibition in California.

On March 21, 1976, Longet shot her boyfriend in the abdomen with a .22-caliber German‐made gun in the bathroom of his Aspen, Colorado, home, where she lived with her three children.

The 31-year-old died while being transported to the hospital, and Longet was charged with reckless manslaughter. She claimed the gun, purchased by his father, accidentally discharged as Sabich was showing her how to handle the pistol.

The case quickly became international tabloid news, with Williams showing public support for Longet.

He would accompany her to court proceedings and paid for legal fees, telling “CBS This Morning” in 2009 that he “thought it was unfair, I thought she was innocent, I thought it was an accident.”

After four days of jury deliberation in 1977, Longet was found guilty of misdemeanor negligent homicide. She was sentenced to 30 days behind bars, two years probation, and a $250 fine.

In response, Sabich’s family filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against her, with the case reaching a settlement outside of court in agreement that she does not publicly discuss the incident or trial.

Longet later married her defense attorney, Ron Austin, and the couple continued to reside in Aspen for years before moving to Hawaii.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.