'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75

Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny

Marshall's Laverne on the popular sitcom "Laverne & Shirley,"

has died, her family said Monday.

has died, her family said Monday.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday

after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson,

said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.