Owen Elliot-Kugell, the daughter of the late Mama Cass Elliot from The Mamas & the Papas, recently opened up about the long-standing rumors surrounding her mother's death in 1974. Contrary to the popular belief that Elliot choked on a sandwich, her daughter has stepped forward to set the record straight, decades after the tragedy.
Cass Elliot, better known as Mama Cass, passed away on July 9, 1974, in London, in the home of her friend and manager George Caldwell. Initially, media reports, including a 1974 Rolling Stone article, suggested that the singer had choked on a sandwich, leading to accidental asphyxiation. However, Elliot-Kugell, in an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, refuted these claims ahead of her memoir, "My Mama, Cass," slated for release in 2024.
Elliot-Kugell expressed disbelief and pain over the persistence of this rumor. "I can't believe we're still talking about the sandwich after all these years," she remarked. She recalled how, since taking over her mother's estate at the age of 18, dispelling this myth has been a significant concern, noting the added pain it brought to an already heartbreaking loss.
The singer's death was officially ruled accidental by a coroner the day after her demise, with reports initially indicating she choked while in bed. However, it's now known that Elliot struggled with frequent vomiting due to dieting, which likely contributed to the confusion surrounding her death. Elliot's secretary, Dot McLeoud, discovered her body after failing to reach her by phone.
Elliot-Kugell also shared her personal memories of the day she lost her mother, vividly recalling the moment her grandmother broke the news. She described the poignant last interaction with her mother, emphasizing the emotional impact that the event had on her as a seven-year-old.
The clarification from Elliot-Kugell comes as a significant step in reshaping the narrative around her mother's legacy. For years, the inaccurate account of Elliot's death overshadowed her contributions to music and her role as a cultural icon of the 1960s.
With her upcoming memoir, Elliot-Kugell aims to offer a more intimate and accurate portrayal of her mother, moving beyond the false narratives that have lingered for nearly half a century.
