Carol Burnett Reflects on the Enduring Memory of Her Daughter Carrie After 21 Years
Beloved entertainer Carol Burnett, as she approaches her 90th birthday in April 2023, reflects on her illustrious career and the deep personal losses she’s faced. Best known for “The Carol Burnett Show,” which was a trailblazer for featuring a female host on a comedy variety series, Burnett’s life has been a mélange of professional triumphs and poignant grief, particularly the loss of her daughter, Carrie Hamilton, in 2002.
In a heartfelt conversation with PEOPLE, Burnett shared, “There’s not a day or almost a moment goes by that she’s not with me. We worked together, we laughed together, we cried together. She was a force.” Much like her mother, Carrie pursued a career in acting, making her mark with the role of Reggie Higgins in the series “Fame” and appearing in films like “Tokyo Pop” and “Shag.”
Carrie’s journey was not without its challenges. She bravely battled drug addiction and faced a formidable fight with lung cancer, which eventually spread to her brain. Tragically, she passed away in January the following year at just 38 years old. Burnett recounted, “When she got sick, I remember she was in the hospital and I would go to see her every day. One day, a nurse at the hospital said, ‘Carrie cheers us up.’ I asked Carrie why she was always cheerful, and her reply was, ‘Everyday I wake up and decide.’ That’s the key word, decide. I say that to myself every morning.”
