‘Columbo’ star Peter Falk’s daughter Jacqueline dies at 60
by The Washington Times AI News Desk · The Washington TimesJacqueline Falk, the daughter of late “Columbo” star Peter Falk, has died by suicide at 60.
According to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner obtained by People, Jacqueline died Monday at a residence in Los Angeles. The case remains open as investigators continue to look into the circumstances of her death, though her body has been released. TMZ reported that she hanged herself, and that it is unclear whether she left a note.
Jacqueline was one of two daughters adopted by Peter Falk and his first wife, Alyce Mayo, whom he married in 1960. The couple divorced in 1976. Despite growing up in the shadow of one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, Jacqueline largely stayed out of the public eye. She joined her father at the 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1998 and at the NBC 75th Anniversary celebration in New York in 2002.
Peter Falk, a four-time Emmy winner, was best known for his role as the rumpled detective Lt. Columbo on the long-running NBC drama. He was also a two-time Oscar nominee for “Murder, Inc.” and “Pocketful of Miracles” and appeared in “The Princess Bride,” “The Great Race” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” He died in June 2011 at 83 after battling Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Peter’s final years were marked by a painful family rift. After he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia in 2008, Jacqueline’s sister Catherine filed a petition at Los Angeles Superior Court to establish a conservatorship over their father’s affairs, alleging that his second wife, Shera Danese Falk, was limiting his contact with his daughters. Shera was ultimately appointed conservator. Catherine alleged that Shera continued to restrict access even after the conservatorship was in place, and that neither she nor Jacqueline was notified when Peter died — learning of his passing through media reports — or informed when he was buried.
In response, Catherine became a prominent advocate for families’ rights, founding the Catherine Falk Organization and championing legislation known as “Peter Falk’s Law,” which protects visitation and communication rights between adult children and ailing parents. The law was first passed in New York and has since been adopted by other states.
Mayo, the sisters’ mother, died in 2016 at 85.
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