Carrie Fisher, 'Star Wars' princess and respected writer, dies at 60

Carrie Fisher, best known as Princess Leia in Star Wars, has died. She was 60.

The actress and writer suffered a heart attack last week while on a plane bound for Los Angeles. She was coming back from London, where she was promoting her new memoir The Princess Diarist and filming scenes for the Amazon series Catastrophe.

She was in Dallas in May of 2015 for Fan Expo Dallas (aka Dallas Comic Con).

"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," says a statement from Fisher's family spokesman Simon Halls.

In addition to acting, Fisher wrote several books, including Wishful Drinking and the recently-released The Princess Diarist. She was less widely known for her work as a screenwriter. She was an uncredited (but highly valued) script doctor on films such as Sister Act and Hook, improving films that have since become classics.

Following her heart attack, the world of pop culture breathed a collective sigh of relief when word spread that Fisher was "stable" in an LA hospital. Prayers and well-wishes for her health were common on social media over Christmas weekend.

Fisher could recently be seen in last year's blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Reportedly, her scenes in Star Wars: Episode VIII have already been filmed.

Fisher is survived by her daughter, Billie Lourd, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, and her French bulldog Gary (who accompanied her on many trips and interviews).