Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence spent years starring together on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 until 1978. While they shared a strong friendship during that time, they later had a falling out while filming Mama’s Family, a spinoff of The Carol Burnett Show.
Thankfully, Lawrence spoke out in a recent interview to confirm that she and Burnett have since gotten past this and are closer than ever!
Burnett And Lawrence Are ‘Closer Than Ever’
“I’m glad we are so close now,” Lawrence, 75, told Fox News. “We’re closer than we ever have been, really.”
Burnett, now 91, initially had a recurring role on Mama’s Family, which ran from 1983 until 1990. Lawrence starred in the sitcom as Thelma “Mama” Harper, a character that she originated on The Carol Burnett Show.
Burnett stopped appearing on Mama’s Family altogether amidst her divorce from Joe Hamilton, an executive producer on Mama’s Family and The Carol Burnett Show. Hamilton, who lated died in 1991, and Burnett married in 1963. They had three daughters together before divorcing in 1984.
Burnett’s divorce from Hamilton was so bitter that she distanced herself from the entire Mama’s Family cast, including Lawrence.
“She went through a horrible divorce,” Lawrence recalled. “So, it was almost … for a while there, it was almost like she divorced all of us who were involved with [Hamilton] at all. I know it was tough for her.”
“She talked to my husband one night,” she continued. “She called — it was early in the ‘Mama’s Family’ run. I was making dinner. My son answered the phone, and she said, ‘Can I talk to your dad?’ And I said, ‘Who is it?’ And my son said, ‘It’s Carol.’ I said, ‘Does she want to talk to me?’ And he said, ‘No, she wants to talk to dad.’ And it kind of broke my heart.”
“But she did say to Al, my husband, ‘I promise I’ll be back. I promise.’ and when she was back, she was fully back,” Lawrence stated. “But I know it was a really tough time for her. It was more sad than anything.”
Related: ‘Carol Burnett Show’ Star Vicki Lawrence Returns To Performing
Burnett’s Tough Times In Life
Lawrence went on to talk about the tough times Burnett has faced in her life. Burnett’s daughter Carrie battled drug addiction during her teenage years, when she was in and out of rehab. Carrie eventually got sober and turned her life around, but she sadly died of cancer at the age of 38 in 2002.
Burnett’s daughter Erin has also struggled with drug addiction over the years. In 2020, Burnett and her third husband Brian Miller became temporary legal guardians of Erin’s teenage son Dylan because of Erin’s substance abuse problems.
“I feel bad for her for all she’s been through,” Lawrence lamented of Burnett.
“You know, she hasn’t had an easy time. Carol, God love her,” she added. “She loves what she does, and she’s the best in the world at it. But behind the scenes, as I think it is with many big performers, her personal life has not been the easiest, you know?”
What Lawrence Has Learned From Burnett
Lawrence also gushed about all that she’s learned from Burnett over the years.
“I think the most important thing that I learned from Carol is how the business of show business should run,” Lawrence said. “It should be fun, and if it’s not fun, you’re doing it wrong.
“It’s gotten to be such a tough business,” she continued. “I was just so lucky to be raised on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ by the best teachers in the world. So, what happened to me just doesn’t happen to anybody else.”
Fans will be ecstatic to learn that Lawrence will be appearing in season 2 of Burnett’s Apple TV+ series Palm Royale. This means that they’ll be reuniting onscreen for the first time in decades!
“I’ve shot a few scenes, but I have not shot with Carol yet,” Lawrence disclosed. “But they said that I will.”
Related: Carol Burnett, 91, Wants Vicki Lawrence, 75, To Join Her On Her Show ‘Palm Royale
Burnett and Lawrence are two living legends. While it’s sad that they had a rift, we’re glad that they’ve put that behind them and come out the other side!
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