Tanya Roberts' Partner Describes Final Moments With Her

Lance O'Brien is speaking out following the death of his longtime partner, Bond girl and That '70s Show actress Tanya Roberts. Roberts died Monday night at the age of 65 after being hospitalized with a UTI that spread throughout her body, with O'Brien emotionally recalling his final moments with her and offering some clarity on Roberts' initial premature death announcement.

Speaking with TMZ, O'Brien said he was "not really good" following his loss. The two had been domestic partners for the 18 years leading up to Roberts' Jan. 5 death. He told the photographer that he and Roberts' representative, Mike Pingel, were currently on their way to retrieve the late actress's personal effects from this hospital. Pingel said he was going to "try to keep some composure and try to take care of some things."

During the brief conversation, O'Brien also opened up about the whirlwind of events leading up to Roberts' death and recalled his final moments with her. Roberts had been rushed to Cedars-Sinai Hospital after she collapsed after walking her dog on Christmas Eve, with O'Brien telling the outlet "they took her away…it was early in the morning, 6 o'clock in the morning." He explained that he was initially told that Roberts was "getting better" and that she had been given "some blood sugar because her blood sugar was low." Although O'Brien at first believed it would be "a short-lived event," he soon learned that his partner was in the emergency room.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, O'Brien was unable to immediately visit Roberts. He was also unable to talk to her as she was placed on a ventilator. O'Brien explained that he was finally allowed to visit Roberts Sunday, during which Roberts opened her eyes.

"And I go, 'Tanya I'm here,' and she started to open her eyes. I saw those beautiful eyes," he recalled. "I go, 'She's responding. She's responding.' And they told me that was just a reflex. And then, you know, about 90 seconds later her eyes rolled back in her head. She was out."

"Beside" himself, O'Brien said he got in the elevator and was picked up from the hospital by Pingel. When Pingel asked what happened, O'Brien said he told him, "I just said goodbye to Tanya," seemingly suggesting that Pingel may have misinterpreted this to mean that Roberts had died. O'Brien then went home and fell asleep. He said when he woke up, "I'm reading on TMZ that she died and my phone starts blowing up."

Roberts was initially reported dead Sunday, though the premature death announcement was rescinded Monday, with Pingel having explained that O'Brien told him, "She died in my arms." Roberts was 65. Survived by O'Brien and her sister, Barbara Chase, the late actress is best known for portraying Midge Pinciotti in That '70s Show, starring opposite Roger Moore in his final James Bond movie, A View to Kill, and playing Julie Rogers in the fifth and final season of Charlie's Angels.