Tanya Roberts still alive, despite reports of death (updated)

Tanya Roberts, an American actress better known for her role in ABC’s ‘Charlie’s Angels’, is still alive, according to Mike Pingel, her close friend and publicist.

Pingel, who had mistakenly announced her death on Sunday to Hollywood Reporter, however, said the actress is still alive but currently hospitalised with an unspecified illness.

He said he had broken the news of her demise due to a “miscommunication” involving hospital staff and Lance O’Brien, Roberts’ longtime partner.

“I did get confirmation [of her death], but that was from a very distraught person [Roberts’ boyfriend, Lance O’Brien],” the publicist said in a statement.

“And so yes, Monday morning at 10 a.m. … the hospital did call to say that she was still alive but it’s not looking good. We will hopefully have information [soon]. It’s upsetting.”

Roberts was hospitalised on December 24 after she collapsed while she was taking her dogs for a walk.

Born in 1955, the actress, whose real name is Victoria Leigh Blum, grew up in New York before moving to Hollywood in 1977.

Roberts, who began her career as a TV model, is famous for her role as Stacey Sutton in ‘A View to a kill’, a 1985 Bond film.

She also starred in several movies like ‘Body Slam’ (1987), ‘Charlie’s Angels’ (1970), ‘That ’70s Show’ (1998), ‘The Beastmaster’ (1982) and ‘Sheena: Queen of the Jungle’ (1984).