Jamie Lee Curtis has paid tribute to ex-boyfriend Robert Carradine following his death at age 71. "I woke up to the news that Robert Carradine died," Curtis, 67, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, February 24, alongside throwback photos with Carradine. The Freaky Friday actress revealed that her friend Melanie Griffith, who starred alongside Carradine in 1977's Joyride, was "the one who told me about his passing." Curtis recalled meeting Carradine "live on television" on The Dinah Shore Show when "they had a bunch of second generation actors, we would call them now Nepo babies." (Robert's parents are late actors John Carradine and Sonia Sorel, while Jamie's parents are late actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.) "Bobby rearranged where we were all sitting so that he could sit next to me, and he kissed me, live on television," Jamie continued of their talk show meeting, which she called a "very public meet cute." Robert Carradine's Daughter, Ever Carradine, Reacts to His Death at Age 71 "His [then] 3-year-old daughter, Ever, now a talented actress, had suffered a terrible burn from hot water and was in the burn unit, and I met her for the first time there, this little girl wrapped in gauze with the biggest smile on her face and the most beautiful eyes," Jamie added. "We became a little family, in a dirt-floored house in Laurel Canyon, and it was my first experience with domesticity and motherhood and partnership." Getty Images (2) Jamie then shared her fond memories of spending time with Ever, now 51, including walking to "the little Canyon market and bringing our laundry down to the laundromat below and folding her little clothes for the first time and the simplicity and beauty of Laurel Canyon in the late 70s." As for Robert, Jamie recalled that he was "a racecar driver" who "drove fast and furious in a Corvette." Getty Images "It's a miracle we weren't killed," she noted. "One day I remember the sun hitting his face, and me turning and looking at him and saying, 'Wait, were you in the movie The Cowboys? Were you Slim?' He was my first crush in the movies, and I didn't realize it." Jamie also remembered Robert starring with her husband, Christopher Guest, in the 1980 film The Long Riders. (Jamie tied the knot with Guest, 78, in 1984.) "We remained friends after we broke up, and Ever and I have as well. The long and winding road," Jamie concluded. "Rest in speed and humor and love, Bobby." 'Lizzie McGuire' Cast React to Robert Carradine's Death at Age 71 Robert's family announced his death in a statement on Monday, February 23. "In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon of light to everyone around him. We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby's valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder," the statement read. "We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness. At this time, we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion." Robert was known for playing Slim in The Cowboys (1972), Lewis Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and Sam McGuire in the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004). The actor welcomed Ever with ex Susan Snyder, as well as kids Marika and Ian with wife Edith Mani.