Florence Tullis

Florence "Rusty" Tullis (née Steinberg; also known as Rusty Dennis, and Rusty Dennis Mason, was an American woman known for being the mother of Rocky Dennis, who was diagnosed with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. Their story was depicted in the 1985 film Mask, in which Tullis was portrayed by Cher.

Biography Early life Tullis was born in Brooklyn. She had two sisters, Dorothy and Bonnie. At age 14, she began smoking marijuana and riding with bikers.

Media portrayal and response

Tullis was paid $15,000 for the film rights to her story, which became the film Mask. Tullis described the film as a "fairy tale." In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Tullis said, "I thought Mask was going to be a movie about Rocky. I always thought showing Rocky's courage would help a lot of disabled kids and the parents of disabled kids — sometimes they are more disabled than their kids. I didn't realize the movie would be about me, too. Thanks to Cher's brilliance, I come off a kind of heroine." She also said of Cher's performance, "Cher depicted the way I am very well. I always thought I was perfectly normal, that the rest of the world is nuts."

Later life At the time of her death, Tullis was living in Glendora with her sister and niece.

Legal issues Tullis had a number of run-ins with the law over her drug use over the years.

In 1996, she was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to a meth possession charge.

In 2001, she was placed on three years' probation for drug possession.

In May 2002, she was sentenced to 16 months in prison for admitting she violated probation on a drug charge.

She completed a prison sentence for possession of methamphetamines in April 2005.

Death and legacy Tullis died of an infection on November 11, 2006, at Beverly Hospital in Montebello, California. She was 70. Tullis wanted her body to be donated to science or be cremated.

Anna Hamilton Phelan, screenwriter of Mask, said of Tullis in 2001, "This was not the PTA mother of the year, but she was the perfect mother for Rocky. She never made him feel sorry for himself."