Swit died at her New York City home on Friday, May 30, 2025, shortly after midnight. According to a police investigation, her death is suspected to have been caused by natural causes. Harlan Boll, her long-time publicist, verified the information.

During the eleven seasons of “M*A*S*H,” from 1972 to 1983, Swit played the ground-breaking character of Maj. Houlihan, which made her a household name in the US and abroad. Sally Kellerman, who portrayed the character in the 1970 feature picture, passed the role on to her.

Initially viewed as a humorous cliché, “Hot Lips” developed into one of the most realistic and multifaceted characters on the show. Swit’s performance and contributions on set were significantly responsible for this change.

Her performance of Houlihan earned her praise from critics for breaking gender norms in media during the 1970s and 1980s, and it went on to become