TV Actress and Comedian Dies One Day Before Her 75th Birthday: RIP to Rosita Velázquez

The television world is mourning another figure who provided the public with decades of entertainment.

Rosita Velázquez, the beloved comedian and actress, died at home in the early hours of July 28, according to El Nuevo Día. She was 74; July 29 would have marked the star’s 75th birthday.

The Puerto Rican pop culture figure is known for her numerous TV appearances through the years. Her filmography includes roles in Los Kakukómicos, En Casa de JuanMa y Wiwi and Mi Hippie me Encanta. She also was the face of a well-known Burger King television campaign and hosted Jaja, Jiji, Jojo con Agrelot and Esto no Tiene Nombre.

Velázquez’s cousin, María García Díaz, confirmed the passing to El Nuevo Día, also praising her for being “an exceptional woman” and “the life of the party.” Díaz did not specify the comedian’s cause of death, only that she had recently faced a range of health problems. Karen Biaggi, Velázquez’s daughter, was caring for the actress in her final days.

Comic Víctor Alicea offered comments about Velázquez to El Nuevo Día, saying, “She even smiled with her eyes and had a very unique sense of humor. … I know Rosita as a woman who was very ahead of her time in terms of what is known in the LGBT community.”