Claudine Longet, the singer and actress tried for the 1976 fatal shooting of her boyfriend, Olympic skier Spider Sabich, has died.
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Her nephew, Bryan Longet, announced her death at age 84 in a social media post on May 14.
“Even though she is no longer physically with us, her light, elegance, talent, and kindness will continue to live on through the memories, music, photos, and love she leaves behind,” he wrote, per Deadline.
“As many of you know, Claudine was not only an icon to me — she was also my aunt, and someone incredibly special in my life,” her nephew added. “Since I was a little boy, I always told her that I would remain her number one fan, and that will never change.”
No other details about her death were shared.
Longet was born in Paris, France, on January 29, 1942. She began her career as the lead dancer for the Folies Bergère revue at Las Vegas’s Tropicana Resort. It was in Las Vegas where she met singer Andy Williams in 1960. Williams recounted that he first saw Longet on the side of a road after her car broke down. They married a year later and had three children together before their divorce in 1975.
Claudine Longet Enjoyed a Successful Acting and Singing Career in the ’60s and ’70s
While married to Williams, Longet began her television acting career with guest roles on 1960s series like McHale’s Navy, Combat!, and Hogan’s Heroes. Per IMDb, she also appeared frequently on Williams’ variety series and his popular Christmas specials during the same period.
Longet also found success as a singer. Her 1967 debut album, Claudine, was a chart success, followed by The Look of Love (1967) and Love Is Blue (1968). Her singles included covers of the Beatles’ “Here, There and Everywhere,” “The Look of Love,” and Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today.”
In 1968, Longet co-starred with Peter Sellers in Blake Edwards’ comedy The Party, in which she also sang the Henry Mancini-Don Black song “Nothing to Lose.”
The Controversy That Ended Claudine Longet’s Career
After her 1975 divorce from Williams, Longet moved with their children to Starwood, Colorado. There, she shared a chalet with skiing sensation Spider Sabich, who had inspired Robert Redford’s character in Downhill Racer. The two met at a celebrity ski event in 1972.
On March 21, 1976, Longet fatally shot Sabich in the bathroom of their shared chalet. Per The Hollywood Reporter, she later claimed the gun discharged accidentally as the 31-year-old skier was showing her how it worked. Sabich was struck once in the abdomen and died en route to the hospital with Longet by his side.
Soon after, reports surfaced that Sabich had planned to ask Longet to move out. Friends of the couple publicly stated that their relationship had been strained.
Longet was charged with reckless manslaughter, and her trial became a media sensation. In January 1977, a jury convicted her of a lesser charge: criminally negligent homicide. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years’ probation, and a $250 fine. The light sentence outraged Sabich’s family and fans, and her career in show business was effectively over. However, Longet’s ex-husband, Andy Williams, supported her throughout the trial, testifying on her behalf and backing her claim that the shooting was accidental.
The Sabich family later filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against Longet, which was settled out of court.
Longet’s Trial Resulted in Her Being a Major Pop Culture Figure Lampooned on ‘SNL’
The case was famously spoofed in an April 1976 Saturday Night Live sketch titled “The Claudine Longet Invitational.” The skit showed sportscasters played by Chevy Chase and Jane Curtin, commenting as skiers were “accidentally shot” by Longet. An on-air apology was issued by announcer Don Pardo the next week.
@jack.hutton The Claudine Longet Ski Invitational 1976 SNL A classic. #SNL #classic #1976 —
♬ original sound – Jack Hutton
The Rolling Stones also penned a song about the incident called “Claudine” for their 1978 album Some Girls. However, it was ultimately pulled, supposedly due to legal concerns.
Following the trial, Longet married her defense attorney, Ronald Austin. The couple reportedly quietly settled in Aspen, Colorado, and Hawaii.
Meanwhile, she and Williams had three children: sons Christian and Bobby, and daughter Noelle. Noelle reportedly died in 2023.