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LEGENDARY Star Trek actress Jill Jacobson has died at the age of 70 after battling a "long illness".

Jacobson revealed earlier this year that she recovered from esophageal cancer after struggling for two and a half years.

Actress Jill Jacobson arrives at A Week In London screening at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome
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Actress Jill Jacobson arrives at A Week In London screening at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama DomeCredit: Getty
Actress Jill Jacobson arrives at a series premiere at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
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Actress Jill Jacobson arrives at a series premiere at the Hollywood Roosevelt HotelCredit: Getty
Jill Jacobson as Vanessa in Star Trek
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Jill Jacobson as Vanessa in Star TrekCredit: Paramount Television

The actress passed away at Culver West Health Center in Culver City, California, close friend and publicist Dan Harary told the Hollywood Reporter.

"Beautiful, energetic, and positive to the end, she will be deeply missed by numerous relatives, friends, and her beloved dogs Benny and Kowalski," he added.

Speaking about her previous cancer battle, Jacobson said: "[The cancer] kind of took me out of the game for a while."

She added: "What I went through was pretty intense. You can’t function, you just can’t function.

"And now I’m so grateful, I just want to keep going, I want to help people. It makes you want to help people."

Jacobson kicked off her Hollywood career in the '70s and played small roles in a series of movies.

She got her big break in 1985 when she played Erin Jones on the soap opera Falcon Crest.

Jacobson then appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1989 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1996.

Some of her notable works include Who's the Boss?, Party Down and House of Usher.

The star also worked as a volunteer spokesperson for the American Cancer Society - and received awards for her contributions.

Jacobson's next project Merrily, currently under production, is set to release next year, reports.

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