Celebrity Psychic Sylvia Browne Dead at 77

Nov. 21, 2013— -- Sylvia Browne, the renowned psychic and bestselling author, died at a hospital in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, according to her website. She was 77.

No cause of death was given.

Browne, who said she could help people communicate with their dead loved ones as well as see the future, was a frequent guest on shows such as "Larry King Live," "Unsolved Mysteries" and "The Montel Williams Show."

"I, like so many of you, lost a friend today," Williams said on the website posting. "But, as has been for the last twenty years, she'll always remain a part of me."

Browne, who published more than 50 books, including 22 New York Times bestsellers, often used her psychic abilities to assist law enforcement in missing personal cases and criminal investigations. She was sometimes criticized for her predictions, including telling the mother of Ohio kidnapping victim Amanda Berry in 2004 that her daughter was dead. Berry and two other women were later found alive. They had been held captive for years.

Amanda Berry's Mom Was Told by Psychic Sylvia Browne That Berry Was Dead

Browne grew up in Kansas City, Mo., where, according to her website, her psychic ability began manifesting at age 3. She later moved to California in 1964, where she founded The Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research and the Society of Novus Spiritus (New Spirit).

Browne is survived by her husband, Michael Ulery, sons Christopher and Paul Dufresne, three grandchildren, Angelia, Jeffrey, and William; and sister Sharon Bortolussi, according to her website.

"Browne's certainty in the existence of reincarnation remained a central theme in her philosophy and she believed it held the key to understanding life, though never imposing her values upon anyone," according to her website. "Often, she had been quoted as saying, 'Take with you what you want and leave the rest behind.'"