Jacqueline Falk – the daughter of actor Peter Falk, who was known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in Columbo – has died at the age of 60.
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office told TMZ that Jacqueline died by suicide in California this week.
She was one of Falk’s two adopted daughters.
He and his first wife, Alyce Mayo, whom he married in 1960, adopted Jacqueline and her sister Catherine during their marriage. The couple later divorced in 1976.
A year after their separation, Falk married actress Shera Danese, who went on to make multiple appearances in Columbo across its long run.
Falk himself died in 2011 at the age of 83 after living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, following a career that made him one of television’s most recognisable figures.
At the time of his passing, his daughters said they would remember his ‘wisdom and humor.’
In the years following Falk’s death in 2011, Jacqueline’s sister, Catherine, became a prominent advocate for families’ rights after alleging she had been prevented from seeing her father during his final years due to conservatorship arrangements.
She later campaigned for legislation known as ‘Peter Falk’s Law’, designed to protect adult children from being cut off from important medical updates or visitation with incapacitated parents.
Need support?
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
PAPYRUS offers specialised suicide prevention support for young people. Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.
The law, first passed in New York, introduced guidelines requiring guardians or conservators to notify family members of serious health developments and death, while also offering legal routes to secure visitation.
Since then, similar legislation has been adopted in more than a dozen US states.
While Jacqueline largely remained out of the public eye, she was part of a family closely connected to one of the most enduring detective series in television history.
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