After Penny Marshall’s Death, Ex-Husband Rob Reiner Says He’s ‘So Sad’

A number of people mourned the death of actress and director Penny Marshall following her death this week. She was 75.

Director Rob Reiner, who was married to Marshall for 10 years in the 1970s, issued a statement after her death. “So sad about Penny,” he wrote. “I loved Penny.

“I grew up with her. She was born with a great gift. She was born with a funnybone and the instinct of how to use it. I was very lucky to have lived with her and her funnybone. I will miss her.”

Reiner and Marshall grew up on the same street in the Bronx in New York City. “We grew up across the street in the Bronx but didn’t know each other,” she told People magazine in 2012.

Other Celebrities React

“God Bless Penny Marshall’s extraordinary soul. Beyond doubt she was able to excel at anything she put her world class mind & heart to and, lucky us, she picked comedy and films which celebrated humans. To many of us lost ones she was, at the time, the world’s greatest den mother,” wrote James L. Brooks, the producer and director.

“Sad to hear of Penny Marshall’s passing. a great comedienne a terrific director and a dear friend,” wrote actor and comedian Billy Crystal.

“Penny Marshall had me audition 6 times for a role and then I didn’t get it. She didn’t know that I would audition for her forever. It was a treat to be in the room. She was glorious. #RIPPennyMarshall,” “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander wrote.

“The LA Clippers are deeply saddened by the passing of Penny Marshall, a resilient pioneer with legendary talent, a committed advocate for women, and a passionate member of Clipper Nation,” wrote the Los Angeles Clippers. Marshall frequently went to Clippers games.

Said actress Mia Farrow, “In the late 80s i had taken my kids to the Park, then as i was hauling stroller & toddler up the steps of my apt. building, a woman appeared & wordlessly helped me. It was Penny Marshall. I had always LOVED her work & now i loved her. RIP and thank you for ALL of it Penny.”

“Farewell to the lady I imitated as a kid before becoming her neighbor years later, legendary sitcom star and BIG director Penny Marshall. Got to tell Penny that LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN is one of my favorite films,” added director Kevin Smith.

Penny Marshall, the actress and director famed for her role in “Laverne & Shirley,” died at age 75, according to reports.

Marshall died in her home in Hollywood Hills on Dec. 17 after suffering from complications from diabetes, TMZ reported on Dec. 18.

The actress had been battling health issues for the past decade. In 2009, she was diagnosed with lung cancer that spread to her brain.

Marshall’s family told TMZ: “Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall. Penny was a tomboy who loved sports, doing puzzles of any kind, drinking milk and Pepsi together and being with her family.”

Marshall was best known for her role as Laverne DeFazio in the 1970s and 1980s, opposite to Cindy Williams’ Shirley Feeney. She later went on to direct “A League of Their Own” with Tom Hanks and Geena Davis, “Big” with Tom Hanks, and “Renaissance Man” with Danny DeVito.