EXCLUSIVE: Loretta Swit 'Died With Estate Clouded by Trust Mystery'
Loretta Swit's estate is allegedly clouded by a trust mystery following the actress' death.
Sept. 23 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Loretta Swit – best known for playing Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the long-running TV sitcom M*A*S*H – died virtually broke and alone, sources said.
The two-time Emmy winner passed away at age 87 in May 2025 with a gross estate valued at greater than $500,000 but less than $1million – including a $900,000 New York City co-op apartment saddled with a whopping $426,700 mortgage held by City National Bank, according to probate court documents exclusively obtained by RadarOnline.com.
Personal property was $0.
Swit Left Behind No Immediate Family
Loretta Swit was married to Dennis Holahan from 1983 to 1995.
"Decedent had no surviving immediate family members. A search is underway to identify any distributees," according to state court documents filed by two of Swit's friends, who were named co-executors of her estate.
After M*A*S*H ended in 1983 after 11 seasons, Swit continued acting on stage and screen, but she also dedicated much of her life to animal rights advocacy and frequently appeared at autograph shows – never tiring of hearing how much the beloved sitcom meant to fans.
Swit was married once, to former actor turned attorney Dennis Holahan, from 1983 to 1995. She never had children but often said, "The cast of M*A*S*H and the animals I've rescued? They're my family."
The Love Boat alum was found dead of natural causes inside her Upper West Side apartment after being discovered by her housekeeper, who immediately called the police.
Swit’s Will Leaves Estate Mystery
Nancy Lubinski and Teresa Rosada were named co-executors of Swit's estate.
She left behind a bare-bones, three-page will naming two close friends – Nancy Lubinski, of Tennessee, and Teresa Rosada, of New York City – as co-executors of her estate.
But the document leaves the ultimate destination of her remaining assets shrouded in mystery.
"I give my entire estate to the then Trustees of the Sweet Cherub Trust, to be held and administered by the Trustees according to the terms and conditions of that Trust," states the will.
Swit’s Signature Required Special Verification
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Swit's will left her entire estate to the trustees of the Sweet Cherub Trust.
Court records show Swit's signature on the 2005 will had to be verified by two people familiar with her handwriting because the two witnesses who originally signed it had died in 2025 and 2008.
Swit's longtime publicist, B. Harlan Boll, declined to comment, stating in an email: "I was Loretta's publicist and had nothing to do with her financial status or estate. I am referring your email for her executor and manager."
