"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

Carrie Fisher, the actress best known as Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars, has died after suffering a heart attack. She was 60.

Family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement on behalf of Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd:

"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," reads the statement.

"She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."

Fisher was flying from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for a heart attack. She later died in the hospital.