Owen Elliot-Kugell, the daughter of late The Mamas & the Papas member Cass Elliot, is setting the record straight on her mother’s death in her new memoir, My Mama, Cass.
In July 1974, Cass passed away in London from a heart attack when Elliot-Kugell was 7-years-old, dying in her sleep at age 32. However, an urban legend spread claiming that the singer had died from choking on a ham sandwich.
“In my younger years, when people would talk to me about my mom, it was always about the stupid sandwich,” Elliot-Kugell told People magazine. “I would go over to kids’ houses after school and eventually one of their parents would ask me, ‘Did your mom really die choking on a ham sandwich?’ First of all, the chutzpah to say that to a child is just crazy but it happened a lot. So I felt it was my duty to figure out what that story was all about.”
For My Mama, Cass, Elliot-Kugell spoke with some of her mother’s friends, including former Hollywood Reporter columnist Sue Cameron. Elliot-Kugell shared that during her conversation with Cameron for the book, she found out that the writer had called Cass’ home to check in on the musician. The Mamas & the Papas member’s manager Allan Carr was the one to pick up the phone and break the news of Cass’ passing.
“He was crying and upset and he said, ‘There’s a half-eaten ham sandwich on the nightstand,’” Cameron told People. She said Carr, to avoid speculation about the nature of her death, asked Cameron to say Cass had died from “choking on the sandwich.”
Back in 2020, Cameron told People about her phone conversation with Carr, which she also detailed in her 2018 book Hollywood Secrets and Scandals. “I didn’t ask any questions,” she wrote. “I knew she didn’t choke on a ham sandwich. I didn’t believe Allan, but I thought just do it because something was wrong.”
Speaking about Cameron’s decision to follow Carr’s request, Elliot-Kugell understands that it was done to protect both Cass’ legacy and Elliot-Kugell’s well being. “In a weird way, I’m grateful for that crazy story,” Elliot-Kugell said. “As much as it caused me grief, and people made jokes, I now realize it kept her relevant and ready to shine again.”
My Mama, Cass arrives on May 7. It’s said to include “intimate family and archival photos, as well as interviews and memories from famous friends, fans and colleagues who loved and respected Cass.”
