UPDATE 4/8/2026 at 5:25 p.m. ET — Superman actress Valerie Perrine’s cause of death has been revealed.
The Oscar nominee died of acute cardiopulmonary arrest, also known as sudden cardiac arrest, according to her death certificate obtained by People on Wednesday, April 8. The underlying cause of death was listed as Parkinson’s disease, which she was first diagnosed with in 2015.
Dementia was a contributing factor to her death, according to the certificate.
Original story continues below:
Superman actress Valerie Perrine has died following a battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 82.
“It is with deep sadness that I share the heartbreaking news that Valerie has passed away,” Perrine’s friend Stacey Souther announced in a Monday, March 23, Facebook statement shared on both women’s pages.
Souther explained that the late actress — best known for playing Lex Luthor’s secretary, Eve Teschmacher, in 1978’s Superman and 1980’s Superman II — “faced Parkinson’s disease with incredible courage and compassion, never once complaining.”
“She was a true inspiration who lived life to the fullest — and what a magnificent life it was. The world feels less beautiful without her in it,” the statement concluded. “I love you, Valerie. I’ll see you on the other side. ❤️.”
Perrine began her career as a Las Vegas showgirl before making her way in Hollywood in the 1970s.
Prior to her role in the Superman franchise, Perrine played Lenny Bruce’s (Dustin Hoffman) drug-addicted stripper wife, Honey, in 1974’s Lenny. The part earned Perrine her only Oscar nomination. Her last role came in 2016 in Silver Skies.
Throughout her career, Perrine’s love life also made headlines. After the accidental death of fiancé Bill Haarman, an importer and gun collector, one month before their wedding in January 1969, Perrine briefly romanced hairdresser Jay Sebring. Sebring was murdered by Charles Manson’s followers along with five others while staying at Sharon Tate‘s home in August 1969. (Perrine was invited to the house but had to work.)
While Perrine cheated death on more than one occasion — she also survived a plane crash at 32 — she privately battled Parkinson’s for more than a decade before her passing.
According to a GoFundMe started by Souther, Perrine began showing “signs of essential tremors” in 2011 four years before she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The disease has also plagued her family, with Valerie’s brother, Ken Perrine, suffering from the same illness.
“I am devastated by the loss of my amazing sister Valerie this morning. She lived an extraordinary life most [of] us can only dream of,” Ken said in a statement on Monday. “She will be missed by [those who] knew her and her loving fans. She fought till the end and never gave up. Thank you all for the kind support over the years. I appreciate all the love you have given her. Please donate and share so we can make her final wish come true.”
Valerie’s longtime friend and caretaker shared the link to her GoFundMe page to help “spread the word” about her funeral service.
“Her final wish is to be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery, but after more than 15 years of fighting Parkinson’s, her finances are exhausted,” Souther revealed. “Let’s come together to make her last wish a reality — she truly deserves it.”
