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.
