Jamie Lee Curtis announces death of actor sister Kelly aged 69: ‘My first friend and lifelong confidant’

Kelly Curtis, who has died at the age of 69, and Jamie Lee Curtis in New York City in 2004. Photograph: Bei/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen Kelly Curtis, who has died at the age of 69, and Jamie Lee Curtis in New York City in 2004. Photograph: Bei/Shutterstock Jamie Lee Curtis announces death of actor sister Kelly aged 69: ‘My first friend and lifelong confidant’ Star says her older sister, an actor and film-maker, died ‘in her home, in nature, at peace’ Jamie Lee Curtis has announced the death of her sister, the actor Kelly Curtis, at the age of 69, describing her as “talented” and “jaw droppingly beautiful”. Jamie Lee said her sister had died “in her home, in nature, at peace” on Saturday, having had roles in films including Trading Places (1983), in which the pair both appeared, Magic Sticks (1987) and The Devil’s Daughter (1991). No cause of death was given. Kelly Curtis was the eldest child of the Hollywood stars Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, best known for her appearance in Psycho. She made her first appearance on the screen as an infant in the 1958 film The Vikings, which starred her parents. View image in fullscreen Tony Curtis, Kelly Curtis, Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis in 1959. Photograph: Donaldson Collection/Getty Images In a post on Instagram, Jamie Lee wrote: “She was my first friend and lifelong confidant. She was jaw droppingly beautiful, and a talented actress. “She played a mean game of hearts, collected turtles, loved her family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook, and Pokémon Go. She was proud of her Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry and was a devoted American patriot. “She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.” Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram . We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue' . Allow and continue She said Kelly used to sign off her messages with the Hungarian phrase “Isten Veled”, meaning “God is with you”. She added: “Isten Veled to my sister of the sun and the moon, my Tai. I’ll see you on down the line.” In a second post , Jamie Lee reflected on their relationship as children and how they became close as adults after Jamie Lee’s wedding to Christopher Guest in 1984. “My sister and I were close as children but also had that sibling competition for divorced parents’ attention and love and we were wildly different and lived apart for many years, but she came back to be with me at my wedding and never really left again,” she wrote. “She worked for me at one point when she was in between jobs as my as-sister-aunt and became an integral part of my family structure. I miss her today but am buoyed by the knowledge that she is at peace.” Along with her film roles, Kelly appeared in episodes of TV

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Its incredibly sad to hear about the passing of Kelly Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis sister, at the age of 69. Kelly was a talented actress and a wonderful person who will be deeply missed. As Jamie Lee Curtis said, she was her first friend and lifelong confidant, and her passing is a huge loss to the entertainment industry and to their family. We will always remember Kelly for her beautiful voice, her kind heart, and her many talents. Rest in peace, Kelly.

Jun 1, 2026 12:41 am