Carol Burnett, an enduring icon in comedy, will turn 91 this month.
As this important milestone approaches, Burnett has been reflecting on her incredible life and work. However, in a recent interview, she revealed details about a terrible loss that still weighs on her mind after more than two decades.
Carol Burnett, the famed entertainer, had three daughters with her ex-husband, producer Joe Hamilton. Their eldest daughter, Carrie Hamilton, was born in 1963.
Carrie followed in her famous mother’s footsteps, pursuing a career in performing. She had a prominent role on the television series “Fame” and played Maureen in the first national tour of the musical “Rent.” She also appeared in various television episodes, including “The X-Files,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “thirtysomething.”
However, Carrie’s path was not without obstacles. Burnett suffered from ᴅʀᴜɢ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ as a youngster, which caused her a great deal of pain. In a 2020 interview with AARP, Burnett discussed her tough-love approach to parenting amid difficult times: “My daughter Carrie got into drugs. In that situation, don’t be their best friend,” she said. “When we got her into a third rehab, oh, she hated my guts! You have to love them enough to let them hate you.”
In a 2002 interview with ABC News, Burnett described her inner sorrow and self-doubt due to her daughter’s struggles: “I thought … was there something I should have seen, something I should have known, something I would have spotted? You know, what did I miss? Was I not strong enough?”
However, Burnett told AARP that Carrie reached sobriety by the age of 18, resulting in an extremely close friendship between them. ““We had a good 20 years where we were joined at the hip,” Burnett said.
Carrie’s work was flourishing, and her bond with her mother was stronger than ever—until tragedy struck. Carrie was diagnosed with lung ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ in 2001, and the ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ later spread to her brain.
Carrie’s ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ battle
But, like her mother, Carrie had a robust sense of humor, which she relied on throughout her suffering. “Carrie had a spirit about her, all through her ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛs,” Burnett told ABC News.
Burnett was tremendously moved by her daughter’s perspective. “In the hospital, she said, ‘Every day I wake up and decide, today I’m going to love my life.’ That became her mantra.”
Carrie ᴘᴀssᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ in 2002, at the age of 38. Burnett was heartbroken by the loss, yet she found the strength to carry on despite her daughter’s early dєαth.
“You don’t get over it, but you cope,” Burnett explained to People in 2018. “What else can you do? When Carrie passed away, I didn’t want to get out of bed for a while, but I had a play to finish that we had started and Hal Prince was set to direct. I owed it to Carrie, and I owed it to Hal.”
21 Years On: Always Present
Carol Burnett reminisced on her daughter’s ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ in a recent interview ahead of her 90th birthday, adding that Carrie is still on her mind every day.
“There’s not a day, hardly a moment, that goes by when she’s not with me,” Burnett shared with People Magazine. “We worked together, we laughed together, we cried together. She was a force.”
She said her daughter’s strength amid her sickness continues to inspire her.
“During her íllnєss, I visited her in the hospital every day,” Burnett recalled. “One day, a nurse told me, ‘Carrie cheers us up.’ When I asked Carrie why she always seemed so cheerful, she said, ‘Every day I wake up and decide.’ That word, decide, is crucial.”
“I remind myself of that every morning,” Burnett added.
Burnett celebrated her 91st birthday on April 26. Despite the tragic loss she suffered 21 years ago, she continues to flourish and has a positive attitude toward life.
Burnett recently received many lifetime achievement accolades, including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2019, the Golden Globes named its television lifetime achievement award after her, naming it the “Carol Burnett Award,” and Burnett was the first recipient. She made a remarkable return to television this year, appearing as a guest on “Better Call Saul.”
Reflecting on turning 90, the famed comic told People, “I can’t wrap my head around it. I still feel like I’m about 11, but I’m amazed. It sure went fast. But I’m glad because I’ve got all my parts — got my hips, I got my knees and I’ve got my brain, so I’m happy about that.”
Losing a child is an unbearably difficult situation, and Carrie’s ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ has clearly had a profound impact on Carol Burnett. However, we are encouraged to discover that this comic icon is still thriving. We wish her a great 90th birthday!
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