Carol Burnett is an all-round entertainer, but she is famously known as a comedian and for her groundbreaking variety show, “The Carol Burnett Show,” on CBS.
The comedian has had a successful career and a few failed marriages along the way. She was first married to actor Don Saroyan from 1955 to 1962, and at the peak of her career, she married television producer Joe Hamilton from 1963 to 1984. During their union, Hamilton and Burnett had three daughters, Carrie, Jody, and Erin.After two unsuccessful marriages, the actress did not give up on finding love again. She found her current husband, Brian Miller, whom she had known since the 90s. The two met in Long Beach, California, while Burnett was doing a show.
After dating for a few years, the couple tied the knot in November 2001. The mother of three could not have been happier to find love and have someone to share the rest of her life with. “… I feel so fortunate at this time of my life to be with him,” gushed Burnett in 2007.
Miller is 20 years her junior, but the actress said their relationship was “terrific.” The age gap has not been a problem. In fact, Burnett said the older they get, the narrow it gets.
Burnett’s husband is a musician. He worked as a drummer for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and was previously the orchestra’s personnel manager. Besides being a drummer for Hollywood Bowl, he also worked as a music contractor for big venues like the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
Miller also assembled a group of musicians, conductors, and producers for well-known events like the Hamilton and Waitress national tours and the Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts.The couple has also attended several red-carpet events and even worked together. Miller produced Burnett’s 90th birthday special. This was not the drummer’s first time working with his wife; he was also the music contractor for “The Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special.”
Why Carol Burnett Had to Take Care of Her Grandson
Burnett worked hard to be one of the biggest stars on a variety show. Her breakthrough role came when she played Princess Winnifred on Broadway in “Once Upon a Mattress.” At the same time, the comedian appeared on “The Garry Moore Show.”
The actress was working so much that she fell asleep on stage, but even with the immense exhaustion, she never stopped until “The Carol Burnett Show” was one of the most-watched variety shows.
From the outside, life looked perfect for the comedian; she had a successful show, was married to a producer, and they were raising her three daughters.
However, one of her daughters, Carrie, started showing signs of alcohol and drug abuse during her teenage years. “It’s a way to sort of numb the pain that comes with growing up,” said Carrie.
Carrie was taken into rehab, but her journey to sobriety was not easy. She eventually gained it after a long and turbulent five years.
Meanwhile, one of Burnett’s other daughters, Erin, also struggled with addiction, leading to Burnett and her husband petitioning for temporary guardianship of Erin’s son Dylan.The comedian released a statement, stating, “Erin has been struggling with impacting her immediate family dynamic; my husband and I have petitioned the court to be appointed legal guardian of my 14-year-old grandson.”
Two weeks after filing the petition, the couple was granted temporary guardianship. Burnett clarified that the guardianship was more about looking after Dylan’s health, education, and welfare but not restricting him from seeing his parents.
According to reports, Erin has struggled with substance abuse for almost two decades. She has been in and out of rehabilitation centers and institutionalized eight times. Dylan’s father also could not care for his son as he had also checked himself into rehab.
Therefore, Burnett and Miller wanted to give Dylan the stability he lacked for years. Despite Miller not being his biological grandfather, reports stated that he had known him for years and loved him like one of his own.
Losing Her Youngest Daughter
Burnett suffered a tragic loss in 2002 when she lost her youngest daughter, Carrie, to lung cancer which even spread to her brain.
Following Carrie’s death, the TV legend said she thought of her daughter every day. She remembered her as an amazing person who loved to be with people, loved to write, and was always looking for a story in any conversation she had.Even though Burnett knew her daughter’s battle with cancer was not easy, losing Carrie was not something she would easily get over.
Despite her heartbreak, Burnett still loves her job. She is 90 years old but shows no signs of stopping. She slowed down a bit to raise her grandson Dylan, but she’s set to appear in a ten-part comedy series on Apple TV called “Palm Royale.”
Burnett has embraced the tough times in her life and is happy with how her life turned out. She believed everything in her life happened the way it was meant to be and would not change it for anything, “I had a good run,” remarked the actress.