Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after collapsing from an apparent heart attack. Her publicist, Gene Schwam, confirmed that she died peacefully early the following morning, surrounded by her family. Her husband of six decades, crooner Tony Martin, remained at her bedside throughout her final hours.
The announcement prompted an immediate outpouring of tributes from historians, Broadway performers, and peers who recognized her distinct physical mastery. Unlike many screen performers of her generation whose physical health declined steeply in later years, Charisse maintained her posture, presence, and active involvement in the arts community well into her eighties. Just two years prior, in 2006, President George W. Bush awarded her the National Medal of the Arts at the White House, formalizing her status as an enduring national treasure.
