Claudine Longet, the French-born singer and actress whose name became permanently tied to the 1976 shooting death of skiing icon Spider Sabich, died May 14 at age 84. Her death was confirmed by her nephew Bryan Longet and widely reported this week.
For those outside the ski world, Longet was known as a 1960s pop singer, actress, and former wife of entertainer Andy Williams. But within skiing culture, her legacy remained inseparable from the death of Sabich, one of the most charismatic and famous American ski racers of his era.
Sabich, a former Olympic skier and dominant force on the professional ski circuit in the early 1970s, was shot in the abdomen by his girlfriend Longet at his Aspen, Colorado, home on March 21, 1976. Longet claimed the shooting was accidental, saying the gun discharged while Sabich was showing her how to use it. He died on the way to the hospital at age 31.
The case exploded into one of the biggest scandals in ski history and became an international media sensation. Prosecutors initially charged Longet with felony reckless manslaughter, but legal missteps during the investigation — including improperly obtained evidence — weakened the case. In 1977, she was ultimately convicted of misdemeanor negligent homicide and sentenced to 30 days in jail, probation, and a small fine. Her ex-husband Williams publicly supported Longet throughout the trial and paid for her legal defense.
The shooting stunned Aspen and the broader ski world during what many consider the golden era of American skiing. Sabich was widely viewed as skiing’s first true celebrity superstar: blond, fearless, magnetic, and deeply tied to Aspen’s fast-living 1970s culture of racing, parties, fame, and excess.
The trial became part of American pop culture history. Saturday Night Live aired a parody sketch about the case, and The Rolling Stones famously recorded a song titled “Claudine” inspired by the shooting, though it was initially withheld from release because of legal concerns.
Following the criminal trial, Longet largely disappeared from public life. In addition, the Sabich family initiated civil proceedings against Longet, which were settled out of court, with the provision that Longet never discuss or write about the killing or the settlement. She later married her defense attorney, Ron Austin, and remained mostly silent about the shooting for decades. Longet had three children with Andy Williams: Noelle, Christian, and Bobby. After Sabich’s death, Longet remained in Aspen, living on a private ranch with her second husband, Austin. In 2023, the pair moved permanently to their second home in Hawaii for health reasons.
While opinions surrounding Sabich’s shooting never fully softened within many corners of the ski community, Sabich himself has increasingly been remembered in recent years for his impact on American ski racing rather than solely the circumstances of his death. Since 2022, “Spider Sabich Day” is observed annually in Snowmass Village every April 8 in honor of the late skier.
