Hollywood megastar Raquel Welch dies after 'brief illness' as fans pay tribute
Hollywood megastar Raquel Welch has died aged 82 following a "brief illness".
She rose to fame for her 1960s roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C, quickly becoming one of the industry's most sought-after stars.
Her heartbroken family confirmed the tragic news to TMZ, telling the outlet that she passed away this morning.
Raquel won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her 1974 role in The Three Musketeers.
NBA star Rex Chapman led tributes on social media this evening, Tweeting: "Raquel Welch has passed away at the age of 82."
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Raquel passed away this morning after 'brief illness' (Getty Images)
She rose to fame in Fantastic Voyage in the 60s (Emilio Lari/REX/Shutterstock)"What a life. Rest in peace," he added - attaching a video clip from an archived TV interview.
Raquel had pathed a life in the entertainment industry as a teenager, winning titles for Miss Contour and Miss Photogenic, she went on to grab the titles of Miss La Jolla and Miss San Diego.
Early in her glistening Hollywood career, she became a local TV weather reporter in San Diego and it was in 1979 that she posed for Playboy, without ever going fully nude.
Speaking about Welch, Hugh Hefner once said: "Raquel Welch, one of the last of the classic sex symbols, came from the era when you could be considered the sexiest woman in the world without taking your clothes off, she declined to do complete nudity, and I yielded gracefully, the pictures prove her point."
Over the course of her career, Requel stood her ground and refused to undress on camera stating that was the way she had been brought up.
Raquel Welch donned an animal skin bikini for the film 'One Million Years B.C.'
Raquel Welch in a scene from the film 'One Million Years B.C' (Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)It was her legendary fuzzy bikini in One Million Years B.C. in 1966 that made her an unforgettable pinup girl.
Her long list of TV credits includes Bewitched, Seinfeld, and McHale’s Navy. Her film credits include 100 Rifles, The Three Musketeers and The Last of Sheila.
"I was not brought up to be a sex symbol, nor is it in my nature to be one," she once said in an interview. "The fact that I became one is probably the loveliest, most glamorous and fortunate misunderstanding."
In tribute, the official account for Warner Music's Rhino Records Tweeted: "Oh no. RIP to the absolute legend RAQUEL WELCH."
Raquel famously refused to strip on camera (REX/Shutterstock)
Welch previously stated she had no intentions of remarrying (Jim Ruymen/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)"We've lost an absolute legend. Raquel Welch will be remembered for countless roles, but her highlight for me will forever be Myra Breckinridge," shared one fan.
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Her personal life was dobbed with heartache, first marrying James Welch in 1959 before going on to have two children, Damon and Latanne Welch.
Although their romance was shortlived with the pair separating in 1962 before eventually divorcing in 1964.
Just three years later, she married Patrick Curtis before they subsequently split in 1972 before going on to marry Richard Palmer with the couple parting ways in 2003.
Prior to her death, Welch stated she had no intentions of remarrying.
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