Louisa Moritz, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ Actress, Dead at 72

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest actress and Bill Cosby accuser, Louisa Mortiz has died at the age of 72.

Mortiz passed away last week at her home in Los Angeles from natural causes related to her heart, a representative for the actress confirmed in a statement to The Blast.

“Louisa Moritz was so full of life, talent, and she was a genius with a 6th sense for making money,” her representative Edward Lozzi told the outlet. “Her parties in Mt. Olympus in the 1980’s were wild and most popular with actors, producers, models, make up artists, set directors, stuntmen…all of the categories. Her support of the Motion Picture Home and animal rights groups was heavy.”

“Her 100’s of TV and film roles will keep her memory alive with her fans forever. Her support of other women who accused Bill Cosby of rape will keep her with us for years to come,” the statement concluded.

News of her death comes four years after she joined the now more than 60 women who accused have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault and misconduct. Moritz alleged that Cosby had forced her to perform oral sex on him in a dressing room on the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in 1971.

In a statement, her lawyers said her lawsuit against Cosby would continue after her death.

“Louisa Moritz was a brave woman who stood up against a powerful Hollywood icon, Bill Cosby, in an effort to restore her good name and reputation, after he publicly branded her a liar when she made public her allegations of sexual abuse and assault by Mr. Cosby,” her lawyer Joseph Cammarata said. “Ms. Moritz was one of seven women who sued Bill Cosby for defamation.”

“Despite her death, her claim against Mr. Cosby will continue in a Federal court in Massachusetts,” the statement continued. “We forward to a resolution of the case that will establish that Louisa was a ‘truth teller’, so that her legacy will live forever untarnished.”

Best known for playing the role of Rose in 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Mortiz got her start in acting after immigrating to New York in the 1950s from Havana, Cuba, making her big screen debut in 1970’s The Man from O.R.G.Y.. Her other credits include 1975’s Death Race 2000, 1978’s Up in Smoke, 1982’s The Last American Virgin, and 1983’s Chained Heat.

Mortiz also starred in a number of TV series, such as The Leslie Uggams Show, The Joe Namath Show, Ironside, Happy Days, M*A*S*H, Chico and the Man, The Rockford Files, The Incredible Hulk, and The Associates.