Carol Burnett, the famous comedy legend, turned 91 in April!
After many years of making us laugh, Burnett still shines bright. NBC honored her amazing career last year with a special tribute called *Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter and Love.*
Many of Hollywood’s biggest stars attended the event to honor Burnett, sharing their admiration on the red carpet.
**Birthday Tributes to Burnett**
One of the attendees was Julie Andrews, the legendary star of *The Sound of Music* and a close friend of Burnett. She joked, “She brings out the best in me, and I think I bring out the worst in her. I don’t know why!”
Andrews remembered meeting Burnett at a Chinese restaurant long ago: “When we met, no one else could get a word in. We bonded like that, and it has never changed,” Burnett said about their lasting friendship.
Music icon Cher also shared stories about her friendship with Carol Burnett.
“I would sneak out through the fence to go to the farmer’s market, and we played practical jokes on each other,” Cher said. “It was just easy and fun, and that’s all we wanted to do.”
Actress Jane Lynch remembered meeting Burnett for the first time: “I was firmly in love; she’s exactly the person you hope she would be,” she told the Hollywood Reporter.
The guest list for the tribute show, which was taped in March, included many big names from both the past and present. Stars like Lily Tomlin, Steve Carell, Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Oprah, Michelle Obama, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Allison Janney, Jimmy Fallon, and Ellen DeGeneres all participated in celebrating Burnett’s remarkable career.
According to Playbill, some of Broadway’s biggest stars, like Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Sutton Foster, and Kristin Chenoweth, will perform musical numbers in honor of Burnett. She herself is a Broadway veteran, having received Tony nominations for *Once Upon a Mattress* and *Moon Over Buffalo*.
“I’m so excited NBC decided to throw me a birthday party and invited all of my closest friends,” Burnett said in a statement. “I can’t wait to look back at so many wonderful moments throughout my career. I feel so lucky to share this night with everyone.”
Carol Burnett is best known for her groundbreaking variety/sketch series, *The Carol Burnett Show*, which aired for 11 seasons on CBS. It was the first show of its kind hosted by a woman, and Burnett is widely seen as a trailblazer for female comedians.
She has recently received many lifetime achievement awards, including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
In 2019, the Golden Globes named their television lifetime achievement award after her, calling it the “Carol Burnett Award,” and she was the first person to receive it.
Last year, she returned to TV with an important guest role in the final season of *Better Call Saul*.
In an interview before her 90th birthday, Burnett shared that she doesn’t feel her age, calling herself a “late bloomer” compared to other performers.
“I can’t wrap my head around it,” Burnett told *People Magazine*. “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 — my hips, my knees, and my brain, so I’m happy about that.”
As Carol Burnett celebrated her 91st birthday on April 26, the television legend was still making waves. She recently celebrated her role in the new miniseries *Palm Royale*, appeared on the cover of *Harper’s Bazaar* in March, and almost saw her playful birthday wish involving *Maestro* star Bradley Cooper come true during her appearance on *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* just days earlier.
Little girl was abandoned by dad who said she was ‘dead’ to him – now she’s a famous actress
In 1975, a well-known musician met iconic actress Goldie Hawn at the height of their careers.
The two crossed paths while traveling from New York to Los Angeles on a first-class flight, and their connection was immediate.
The musician, a member of The Hudson Brothers, was already a prominent figure in the music world, having performed alongside The Beach Boys, The Osmonds, and The Monkees. In addition to his music career, he also appeared in films and TV shows, most notably the cult classic Hysterical.
Recalling their first encounter, the musician described the chemistry as undeniable. “The attraction was instant. I invited her out to dinner that night, and that was it,” he shared. Their relationship quickly escalated, with their physical connection being a central aspect.
“The [intimacy] was mind-blowing. Even when everything else in the relationship turned sour, the [intimacy] was always amazing,” he added, per the Daily Mail. Though their relationship had its ups and downs, there were moments when it seemed as though they were making progress.
The couple married in 1976 when Goldie was pregnant with their first child, a son. However, their son’s birth was not without complications. Born at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, he was diagnosed with meconium aspiration, a life-threatening condition in which a newborn inhales amniotic fluid contaminated with meconium.
The newborn was isolated for three days after birth, which deeply distressed the couple. “Goldie and I were beside ourselves,” the musician remembered. He further explained: “She was really sick, and I’d go from her bedside to the neonatal intensive care unit. The doctors didn’t think [son’s name] would make it. But [he] pulled through, and from that moment, he was our precious miracle.”
Three years later, the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter, in 1979. The family of four enjoyed several happy years together, but their marriage came to an unfortunate end in 1981 when the musician discovered Goldie had been unfaithful. The musician longed for a traditional marriage, which conflicted with Goldie’s views on commitment.
“Goldie was having affairs, [and] she told me pretty much on our wedding night that she wanted an open marriage, that she couldn’t imagine being faithful to one man for the rest of her life,” he revealed to the Daily Mail. “I wanted a traditional marriage, but Goldie couldn’t settle. Eventually, I moved out.”
After their split, Goldie began dating actor Kurt Russell in 1983. They had initially met in 1968 while filming The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, but it wasn’t until their reunion on the set of Swing Shift that their romantic relationship blossomed. Their son, Wyatt Russell, was born in 1986, three years into their relationship.
Blending their families proved to be a significant adjustment. Goldie’s daughter recalled: “For me, it felt like such a big moment because it was like, ‘My mom is madly in love with this guy.’” She added: “And I was meeting his son [Boston], which meant, ‘Does this mean that this is my brother?’ It was a lot to handle at such a young age.”
Goldie’s children from her previous marriage struggled with feelings of abandonment after their parents’ divorce. Her son recalled how their biological father gradually distanced himself from their family. Reflecting on a controversial Father’s Day post dedicated to Kurt, he said: “It doesn’t really matter which one of these men is my father. My pa stepped in when I was six and made me the man I am today.”
Both siblings have fond memories of Kurt stepping into the role of father figure. Though their relationship with their biological father, Bill, remains strained, they often express gratitude for Kurt’s dedication.
Meanwhile, Bill has openly voiced his feelings of betrayal, accusing Goldie of “poisoning” their children against him. Despite the tension, Kate and Oliver are focused on healing from their past and maintaining a positive outlook for the future, per Hello!.
By 2015, the strained relationship with Bill became public when Oliver posted a controversial Father’s Day message on social media. He shared a throwback picture of himself, Kate, and Bill, captioned: “Happy abandonment day… @katehudson.”
Bill, angered by the post, expressed his frustration in an interview, saying: “Oliver could have picked up the phone and called me, but he hasn’t. This was clearly premeditated; he chose the photograph and posted it on Father’s Day when he knew it would cause maximum pain.”
Bill went further to claim that if Oliver wanted to cut him out of their lives, he had succeeded. The fallout only deepened when Kate followed Oliver’s lead and posted her own tribute to Kurt, which added to the tension.
Kate appeared on Howard Stern’s show, speaking about how Kurt was the father who was present during the difficult and challenging times. In response, Bill stated, per the Daily Mail: “I would ask them to stop using the Hudson name [because] they are no longer a part of my life.”
He further expressed: “Oliver’s Instagram post was a malicious, vicious, premeditated attack; he is dead to me now, as is Kate. I am mourning their loss even though they are still walking this earth.” Following this, Bill decided to remove all childhood memorabilia of Kate and Oliver from his home, according to the Daily Mail report.
Despite the distance between Bill and his older children, Kurt has embraced his role as a grandfather to Kate and Oliver’s children.
While Bill continues to harbor resentment, Kate and Oliver have moved on, choosing to focus on the family bonds they’ve built with their stepfather, Kurt.
What do you think of this? Let us know your thoughts!
Leave a Reply