Why Loni Anderson Forgave 'Deadbeat Dad' Burt Reynolds' $400,000 Child Support Debt Years Before Their Deaths

Burt Reynolds reportedly owed his ex-wife Loni Anderson $400,000 worth of child support payments following their 1993 split.

Anderson — who died on Sunday, August 3, at age 79 — never made her late ex-husband pay back the whopping total, however, before he died in 2018.

The WKRP in Cincinnati actress' reasoning for forgiving Reynolds of the pricey lump sum was revealed by a source in 2010 — 16 years after the famed Hollywood stars' divorce was finalized in 1994.

According to an insider, Anderson said: "I feel sorry for Burt. I’m not going to pursue it anymore. I don’t want to call him a deadbeat dad on top of all his other troubles."

Upon settling their split in 1994, Reynolds was ordered to pay $4,000 per month in child support until their adopted son, Quinton Anderson Reynolds, now 36, turned 18. At the time of his parents' separation, the little boy was around 5 years old.

The Smokey and the Bandit actor, however, hardly paid the amount he was supposed to amid struggles with substance abuse and a trip to rehab.

"Burt’s made more than 20 movies since the divorce, but he paid sporadically from the start. He’d pay $4,000 one month, not pay anything for three months, and then send $5,000," the source explained. "It went on like that for years, but Loni let it go because there was always some money coming in."

"By the time Quinton turned 18, Burt owed Loni over $400,000," the confidant confessed to the National Enquirer.

As for why she didn't fight for Reynolds to hand over the large amount, Anderson supposedly said, "I almost feel guilty for being so happy, and with Burt so vulnerable I don’t want to end up looking like the bad guy."

"Loni pictures Burt rattling around the Florida mansion he’s been trying to sell for years. By contrast, she is the happiest she’s ever been," the source explained. "Loni could use the money Burt owes her. She isn’t working much, but she’s decided not to go after him any longer."

Plus, Anderson didn't want to change the admiration her son had for his father.

"He and Burt have a great relationship. Loni has never burdened Quinton with the knowledge that Burt’s a deadbeat dad," the insider noted.

The Emmy-nominated actress' friends disagreed with her decision, though the confidant added: "Loni is perfectly content with her life and she could have told Burt to drop dead. But she has a generous heart."

Anderson's inner circle wished she stood her ground more, with the insider admitting: "She’s too nice – she always was."

"One of her pals told her, 'If it was up to me, I’d put Burt’s picture on interstate billboards with the message: "Have you seen this man? Call 1-800-Deadbeat Dad,'" the source concluded.