According to the Associated Press, Whitney died peacefully in her home in Coarsegold, California, on May 1.

"Condolences to the family of Grace," her co-star, William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, post on Twitter. "She was a constant shining smile over the years every time our paths crossed."

Whitney was written off the original series (1966-1967) after eight episodes — and a harrowing sexual assault by a studio executive, which she describes in the opening of her 1998 autobiography, "The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy." In the years that followed, Whitney struggled with alcoholism. Her son, Jonathan Dweck, told the Associated Press that his mother would rather be remembered as a survivor of addiction than be remembered for her role in "Star Trek."