Young and the Restless actress Jeanne Cooper died on Wednesday at the age of 84.

Cooper had been hospitalized for an undisclosed illness during the month of April. On April 12, she was admitted into the ICU. Her health rallied and she was released a few days later, but her heath took a turn for the worse again.

Her son, Corbin Bernsen, took to Twitter on Wednesday and confirmed her death.

"Mom passed this morning. She was in peace and without fear. U all have been incredible in your love. In her name share it 2 day with others," he tweeted.

Bernsen also left a longer message on Facebook.

Cooper died in her sleep with her daughter at her side early in the morning. Bernsen thought he would have had time to visit her in the afternoon, however, he said that he is at peace knowing that she was as well.

"I said my goodbyes several times over during the last few weeks. I'll go one last time now for a gentle kiss a final farewell for this lifetime" he wrote.

Cooper began her career in the 1950's with a role in the western The Redhead from Wyoming. From there, she got roles in ABC's Crossroads, NBC's Tales of Wells Fargo and CBS' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater. It was her role as Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless that made her a beloved actress. She played the part since 1973 and she spent 40 years on the soap opera.

Cooper was one of the longest actors with tenure on the show. For her work as the grande dame of Genoa City and her look a like Marge, Cooper was awarded 10 Emmy nominations. She won twice.

In a fusion between real and reel life, Cooper allowed her plastic surgery to be feaured on the daytime serial in the 1980's. She talked about the experience on The Talk, saying she decided she needed a facelift after seeing herself in a mirror one day. It was her idea to incoroporate the surgey into the show.

"I walked by a mirror one day and scared the hell out of myself," she said.

The news of her death had loved ones, co-stars and multitude of fans with nothing but praise for the icon. She was remembered for her spirit and dedication to craft.

"She has been a blaze her entire life, that beacon, that boxer I spoke of earlier. She went the full twelve rounds and by unanimous decision... won!" Bernsen wrote.

Y&R co-star Jessica Collins said that Cooper would be missed and that it was a sad day for the cast to return to work without her. Heather Tom, who plays on the soap opera Bold & The Beautiful, said she learned from Cooper and declared her to be a class act.

Cooper published her memoir, Not Young, Still Restless in 2012. It was a no holds barred account of her life and one of the stories she shared was an affair with a much younger co-star. The book made The New York Times Best Seller's list.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced yet.

Tags
Jeanne Cooper