Silke Jasso
Carol Burnett is seeking temporary legal guardianship of her grandson Dylan, as her daughter Erin Hamilton is struggling with substance abuse. Through a statement to Us Weekly, the 87-year-old actress noted, “Due to addiction issues and other circumstances that my daughter Erin has been struggling with, impacting her immediate family dynamic, my husband [Brian Miller] and I have petitioned the court to be appointed legal guardian of my 14-year-old grandson.” The announcement comes a month ahead of Dylan’s 14th birthday in September.
Videos by Rare
The actress noted that the guardianship will be for oversight purposes concerning the boy’s education welfare, and health. It is not intended to deny him nor his partners any proper visitation. She stated, “We look forward to recovery being the next stepping stone towards normalization and ask for privacy at this time to allow that process to occur.”
Carol Burnett Seeks Guardianship of Grandson as Daughter Battles Addiction https://t.co/7RNOmvRR86
— EIN Presswire: Brain Cancer Newswire (@EINBrainCancer) August 20, 2020
The actress went on to explain that through her daughter’s adult life, who is now 52, and since Dylan’s birth, she has suffered from severe drug use, substance abuse, and addiction issues. She added, “In the past 19 years, Erin has been in and out of rehabilitation centers and has been institutionalized a total of eight times for a minimum of 30 days each time.”
The Carol Burnett Show actress said her daughter had threatened to commit suicide in July, forcing her family to call the LAPD to complete a wellness check. She was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold and received treatment at Chino Hills Hospital and Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. As far as Dylan’s father, Kurt West, Burnett stated he was unable to provide for him since he recently checked himself into rehab after suffering from substance abuse issues. Through court documents, the actress stated, “Dylan’s living environment has long been unstable, unpredictable and unhealthy for a child. This culminated in a Department of Children and Family Services (‘DCFS’) investigation and juvenile dependency proceedings in 2018 and 2019.”
The Hollywood actress has since found a boarding school for her grandson where he has maintained good grades. She, and her husband Brian Miller are temporary guardians and are financially supporting Dylan and is paying for medical, dental insurance, educational needs, and basic living expenses. Burnett also has two other children, her late daughter Carrie Hamilton and Jody Hamilton. Carrie tragically died at the age of 38 in 2020 after battling lung cancer, brain cancer, and pneumonia. She had also struggled with substance abuse prior to getting sober before her 18th birthday. Speaking about her addiction, Brunett added, “When we got [Carrie] into a third rehab, oh, she hated my guts,” Burnett told AARP magazine. “You have to love them enough to let them hate you.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or drug addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
