The latter. They just didn't vet her carefully enough. Just look at all the stuff that's coming out about her now, from her ties to the Alaska Independence Party to her interest in book banning.
Big Bad Mama (1974) Angie Dickinson robs banks and fucks William Shatner on a big brass bed.
Delta Delta Die! (2003) Cannibal sorority sisters. Brinke Stevens. Julie Strain. It's that kind of movie.
Savage Streets (1984) A gang of thugs rapes Linda Blair's deaf sister and she vows revenge. Repugnant in parts, but Blair's ridiculous "tough girl" performance elevates it all to camp brilliance.
Heat (1972) Amusing, unabashedly dirty take on Sunset Boulevard. Sylvia Miles is a national treasure.