Carol Burnett - Personal Life

Personal Life

She married Don Saroyan on December 15, 1955; they divorced in 1962. On May 4, 1963, Burnett married TV producer Joe Hamilton, a divorced father of eight, who had produced her 1962 Carnegie Hall concert and would produce The Carol Burnett Show, among other projects. The couple had three daughters:

  • Carrie Hamilton
  • Jody Hamilton
  • Erin Hamilton

Their marriage ended in divorce in 1984, and Hamilton died of cancer in 1991. On November 24, 2001, Burnett married Brian Miller (principal drummer in and contractor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra), who is 23 years her junior.

In January 2002, Burnett's daughter Carrie died of lung and brain cancer at the age of 38. She had become addicted to drugs as a teenager. Burnett and Carrie wrote a play together called Hollywood Arms, which was adapted from Burnett's bestselling memoir, One More Time. The Broadway production featured Linda Lavin as the Burnett character's beloved grandmother, Sara Niemietz and Donna Lynne Champlin shared the role of Helen (Carol Burnett), and Michele Pawk played the role of the mother, Louise. For her performance, Pawk received the 2003 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. Her daughter Erin became a singer.

Since the 1960s, Burnett has been best friends with Julie Andrews. Burnett is the godmother of Julie's first child Emma Walton Hamilton.

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