Jacqueline Falk, the daughter of late Columbo star Peter Falk, has died at the age of 60.
She was one of two daughters adopted by the Emmy-winning actor and his first wife, Alyce Mayo.
People reports that, according to medical records, Jacqueline was found dead April 27 at a home in Los Angeles. Her death has been ruled a suicide, but an investigation is continuing.
Jacqueline and her sister, Catherine, largely remained out of the public eye. However, Catherine did become an advocate for families’ rights and spoke out about her difficulties navigating conservatorship issues involving their father in the last years of his life.
She alleged through the Catherine Falk Organization that she and her sister were kept apart from their father and only learned of his death from “media reports and their attorney.”
Peter Falk died in 2011, at the age of 83, after living his final years with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Along with his signature role as the rumpled detective Columbo, he also starred in a string of beloved films including The Princess Bride, The Great Race and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
He was intimately linked with the creation of the Columbo character. David Koenig, author of Shooting Columbo: The Lives and Deaths of TV’s Rumpled Detective, told The Independent: “If you watch him in the very first pilot, Prescription: Murder, Falk is just sort of acting the stage play without a whole lot of himself in the role.
“It comes across as interesting, but nowhere near as engaging as it quickly became when he realized: ‘This is a series, not a one shot. I’ve got to make myself memorable and quirky and likeable.’ He did that in spades by imbuing the character with so much of himself.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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