The Young and the Restless star Jennifer Leak D'Auria dies aged 76
The Young and the Restless actress Jennifer Leak D'Auria has died aged 76.
Leak D'Auria passed away at her home in Florida, after a seven year battle with supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disease.
Her death was first reported by the East Hampton Star, who detail that the late actress has donated her brain tissue to the Mayo Clinic to aid further research on the disease.
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The Young and The Restless star Jennifer Leak D'Auria has passed away. CBS via Getty Images
Leak D'Auria became best known for her three year stint on soap opera The Young and the Restless where she appeared on several episodes as Gwen Sherman.
She also starred alongside Lucille Ball in the 1986 film Yours, Mine and Ours, where she met and fell in love with her first husband, Animal House and Virgin River star Tim Matheson.
Following Leak's passing, the actor posted a touching tribute to ex-wife.
"It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jennifer Leak's passing. She wasn't just my screen sister in 'Yours, Mine and Ours,' but also my beloved first wife," he wrote.
"Jennifer was a remarkable woman, strong, lovely, and incredibly talented. My deepest condolences go out to her husband of 47 years, James D'Auria and their multitude of friends."
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Leak D'Auria also appeared in several other projects during her time in Hollywood, such as Hawaii Five-0, Nero Wolfe, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Another World.
It was during her three years in New York filming Another World that she met her husband James D'Auria.
D'Auria told the East Hampton Star that his wife was "a shy and private person, never desiring to be the centre of attention or having the need for an audience."
He continued, "She saved those feelings and exhibited them only when on camera, and then she became electric."
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