Content Advisory: This article discusses death, grief, and family loss. Reader discretion is advised.
Jamie Lee Curtis is mourning the death of her older sister, Kelly Lee Curtis.
Kelly, the eldest daughter of Hollywood stars Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, died at her California home on Saturday, May 30. She was 69. Jamie confirmed the news in a heartfelt Instagram tribute, writing that her sister died “at peace” and in nature. A cause of death has not been shared.
“A warm aloha to my older sister, Kelly Lee Curtis,” Jamie wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of her late sister. “She passed away this morning. In her home. In nature. At peace.”
Jamie Lee Curtis Honors Her Sister
Jamie described Kelly as “my first friend and lifelong confidant.”
She also praised her sister’s beauty, talent, and personality. “She was jaw-droppingly beautiful and a talented actress,” Jamie wrote.
The ‘Halloween’ star remembered Kelly as someone who loved family, nature, music, travel, thrifting, and collecting turtles. She also said Kelly played “a mean game of hearts” and was proud of her Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry.
Jamie added that Kelly would be remembered for her generosity, strong opinions, curiosity, unique style, and Christmas cookies. “She was known as Auntie Cookie,” Jamie wrote.
The tribute ended with a Hungarian blessing Kelly often used. “Isten Veled, God is with you,” Jamie wrote. “Isten Veled to my sister of the sun and the moon, my Tai. I’ll see you on down the line.”
Kelly Lee Curtis Came From Hollywood Royalty
Kelly was born in Santa Monica, California, and grew up as part of one of Hollywood’s most recognizable families.
Her parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, were major screen stars. Tony appeared in classics including ‘Some Like It Hot’, while Leigh became forever linked to Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’.
Kelly made her first uncredited screen appearance alongside her parents in the 1958 film ‘The Vikings’. She later acted with Jamie in the 1983 comedy ‘Trading Places’.
Kelly is survived by her husband, John Marsh.
Kelly Built Her Own Acting Career
Kelly continued working in television through the 1980s and 1990s.
Her credits included appearances on ‘The Equalizer’, ‘Hunter’, ‘Silk Stalkings’, ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’, and ‘The Sentinel’. She also worked as Jamie’s assistant on several films.
For Jamie, the loss is not only about a sister from a famous family. It is about losing the person she called her first friend, her lifelong confidant, and her “sister of the sun and the moon.”
