HT6. ‘Falcon Crest’ and ‘Star Trek’ Actress dead at 70

The beloved actress Jill Jacobson, known for her roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Falcon Crest, has tragically passed away.

According to the star’s longterm friend, Dan Harary, succumbed to a longterm illness.

Sad news for fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Falcon Crest—actress Jill Jacobson has passed away. The Texas-born actress is probably most known for her role as Erin Jones on Falcon Crest, where she appeared in over 20 episodes.

Jacobson also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, leaving a lasting impression on viewers everywhere.

Died on December 8

She grew up in Beaumont and Dallas, Texas. After finishing school, she set her sights on an acting career and moved to Los Angeles, where she landed her first major role as the title character in Nurse Sherri in 1977.

Beyond her acting, Jill also showed her creative flair behind the scenes as an executive producer for projects like The Circle and the 2014 short film Mic Whore.

The actress’ passing was confirmed by her longtime friend, Dan Harary, who shared the sad news with The Hollywood Reporter. He revealed that Jill passed away on December 8 at Cedars-Sinai’s Culver West Health Center after battling a long-term illness.

Reflecting on her loss, Dan said, “She will be deeply missed by numerous relatives, friends and her beloved dogs, Benny and Kowalski.”

Jill Jacobson cause of death

The exact cause of the Falcon Crest star’s death has not been disclosed at this time. What we do know is that Jill’s friend, Dan Harary, confirmed that the actress passed away after battling a long-term illness.

In September 2024, Jill revealed that she had undergone treatment for esophageal cancer, describing the experience as incredibly challenging. Jill lived with the disease for over two and a half years.

“What I went through was pretty intense. You can’t function, you just can’t function,” she said while appearing on the YouTube show The Jim Masters Show.

But she managed to turn the devastating health diagnosis into something positive – which wasn’t an easy feat at first.

“It’s been a secret. Kind of took me out of the game for a while,” she said “It was esophageal cancer. It took like two, two and a half years of treatment.”

See her one last time

After being diagnosed with cancer, Jacobson became a dedicated volunteer and spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. Her efforts earned her numerous awards for her advocacy work, according to The Independent.

“And now I’m so grateful, I just want to keep going, I want to help people. It makes you want to help people,” she said.

Sadly, Jill Jacobson’s journey came to an end at the age of 70. Her manager, Ben Padua, confirmed the heartbreaking news to Entertainment Weekly.

”We are incredibly sad to say goodbye to our beautiful, soulful, hysterically funny, elegantly raunchy client, Jill Jacobson,” Padua shared in a statement to EW. ”Jill was a total spitfire of an actress with comedic timing straight out of a Marx Brothers’ flick and Hollywood glamor right from its golden age.”

Jill Jacobson’s talent and passion will continue to shine even after her passing. Fans can look forward to seeing her one last time in the upcoming TV show Merrily, set to be released in 2025.