Celebs react to death of Raquel Welch: She's so elegant

Celebrities are paying tribute to Raquel Welch, who died at the age of 82.

Steve Sauer, the actress's longtime manager, revealed to People magazine on Wednesday that she "passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness."

Sauer added, "Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs. Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter Tahnee Welch."

Many famous people expressed fond recollections of Welch after hearing of her passing, including Reese Witherspoon, with whom she co-starred in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde.

"So sad to hear about Raquel Welch's passing. I loved working with her on Legally Blonde," Witherspoon, 46, shared on Twitter alongside an image of Welch. "She was elegant, professional and glamorous beyond belief. Simply stunning. May all her angels carry her home."

In his social media eulogy, director Paul Feig stated that interacting with Welch was "a great pleasure" and that "we've lost a true icon."

"This is so sad," he shared in a tweet. "I had the great pleasure of working with Ms Welch when I was a regular on Sabrina the Teenage Witch and she was awesome. Kind, funny and a true superstar whom I was pretty much in love with for most of my childhood."

In a tweet that accompanied a clip from the late-'90s teen series, singer-songwriter Tom Aspaul also discussed Welch's appearance there: "I know she's famous for bigger/more notable things (inventing the bikini basically) but for me, Shake Your Whammy Fanny is forever burned on my brain."

Antonio Sabato Jr., a former cast member of Melrose Place, praised her "amazing beauty grace & talent" in a tweet that also included a clip of her speaking on The Dick Cavett Show.

ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts added that Welch "lit up movie screens for years with her beauty and charisma" in her tweet, with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actor Christopher Meloni also sharing similar feelings on Twitter. He simply wrote, "Raquel Welch dying is a very weird feeling."