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Kelsey Grammer Reveals Heartbreaking Childhood Tragedies and His Journey to Forgive the Killer

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In a strikingly intense chapter from his latest work, an unrecognizable 20-year-old Kelsey Grammer (before his iconic portrayal as Dr. Frasier Crane), is shown prowling the New York streets at midnight, consumed by sorrow, eagerly inviting mischief to confront him.

Moving directly toward mysterious individuals hidden within dimly lit passageways, he expresses his desire: ‘I wished to take another life. I yearned to end my own. I believed I was destined for a brutal demise, and thus I ventured out to find it.’

Although I seemed to seek out trouble, it never materialized. Reflecting back, I believe there might have been some form of protection at play. I might say that it was God, or Jesus, or even Karen. But in essence, they all said ‘No’, preventing me from going down a certain path.

Karen served as Kelsey’s younger sibling, and following the horrific slaying of her in July 1975, just a fortnight before her 19th birthday, he often ventured out for walks, filled with anger.

For the very first time, Kelsey has shared her story extensively in his book titled “Karen: A Brother Remembers”. Today, adorning a neat blazer and shirt, he’s delving into it over Zoom from the rather impersonal office of his New York publishing company.

For many, Kelsey is often associated with Frasier – a sophisticated yet sometimes pompous radio psychiatrist who is both adored and criticized, whose show is frequently praised as one of the best sitcoms ever made. However, even though Kelsey won four Emmy Awards for his role as the doctor, not many people are aware of the hardships that marked his personal life.

Besides Karen’s homicide, it’s important to mention that Kelsey’s father, Allen, who left the family when Kelsey was only two years old, was fatally attacked under suspicious racial circumstances by a taxi driver when Kelsey was thirteen.

Karen’s murder isn’t the only tragedy in Kelsey’s life. Her father, Allen, had deserted the family when Kelsey was just two. Tragically, when Kelsey was thirteen, he was killed in a racially charged incident by a taxi driver.

When Kelsey was 12 years old, his beloved grandfather Gordon, who had significantly influenced his upbringing along with his sister, passed away due to cancer. Later on, in 1980, Kelsey tragically lost his half-brothers Billy and Stephen in a shark attack at the Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, their search for Billy’s body proved unsuccessful.

Kelsey didn’t personally believe the family was cursed, however, his grandfather did. Nevertheless, if there is truth to this belief, he feels it’s our duty to dispel it. The family has a history of premature deaths that span generations, and he wants to put an end to it. In fact, he intends to live to be 160 years old!

It speaks volumes about Kelsey that despite a life marked by tragedy, he is able to extract optimism, and it’s remarkable to see his youthful appearance at the age of 70, with him being fit and having a sun-kissed glow.

Showing great emotion, he wept as he recounted Karen’s tale, demonstrating the deep bond they shared. Being a year and a half senior to his sister, he had always acted as her guardian, and the siblings led an active, outdoorsy lifestyle in Florida, raised by their mother Sally, along with her parents Gordon and Evangeline.

In the heart of Colorado Springs, I found myself, not so long ago, drawn to a tragic tale. Once upon a time, a vibrant young woman named Karen decided to embark on a fresh start after leaving college. She took up employment at a well-known eatery. As fate would have it, her evenings often concluded in the restaurant parking lot, waiting for her boyfriend who worked late shifts there. It was one such evening, around 11pm, when she unwittingly crossed paths with three nefarious individuals with sinister intentions – to rob the very building she stood before.

They believed she might be a crucial witness, so they forcefully took her at gunpoint. One of the men, Freddie Glenn, bound her up and placed her in his vehicle. Afterward, she was driven to one of their residences where multiple men successively assaulted her while she begged for mercy.

After that, they escorted her into a narrow passageway, where Glenn instructed her, ‘Lean your head back’, followed by swiftly slicing her neck. The attack was so severe she came close to being beheaded. He plunged the knife into her 42 times and abandoned her for death’s doorstep, but miraculously, she gathered strength to crawl approximately 400 feet towards a trailer park for aid, coming very close to reaching it.

On the morning of July 1st, 1975, a tragic event occurred when a woman named Karen perished, left unattended on a neighbor’s doorstep, as a nearby couple chose to disregard the terrifying scream they had heard earlier.

Kelsey had chatted with Karen over the phone only a short while ago, since they were arranging a home celebration for Karen’s forthcoming birthday.

A few days past her expected arrival, Kelsey phoned the authorities and learned that a corpse had been discovered. At age 20, he was left with the grim task of recognizing his sister, as he put it, “There was an almost comforting absence of Karen in what remained of her.” Although he questioned the detective about whether she had been sexually assaulted, he was informed no, likely to shield him from additional suffering. Later on, Kelsey discovered that she had indeed suffered a violation from a report in The National Enquirer, an American tabloid.

Years after being found guilty for Karen’s murder, as well as multiple other murders in the region and receiving a life imprisonment, Glenn was once again struck by despair when Kelsey requested to review the police report during his book-writing process.

As an ardent admirer, I’ll put it this way: What initially left me disheartened was discovering that for the first hundred pages of the police report, Karen remained anonymous, merely referred to as ‘a girl’, or in essence, a Jane Doe. This revelation saddened me deeply because it seemed nobody had any clue about her true identity for quite some time. Yet, I knew who she was all along.

The passing of gifted artist Karen nearly shattered Kelsey to pieces. A poignant scene unfolds in the novel as he remembers her funeral, where he berates himself for neglecting ‘the one action I was constantly duty-bound to’ – shielding his younger sister.

Has he ever contemplated suicide, I asked. To which he responded resolutely, ‘Never. I believed that surviving such a loss was an obligation. I strove to be a supportive brother and I believe I succeeded – I understand that now.’

In my personal journey, penning down words serves as a cathartic experience, allowing me to navigate through the emotional turbulence that I’ve faced. It felt as though there was an internal flaw within me that I couldn’t prevent, and writing helped me expel this burden.

Even today, Karen’s gentle voice echoes in my thoughts, and over the years, I’ve consulted numerous mediums in search of solace. Interestingly, my path led me to create the critically acclaimed series ‘Medium’, starring Patricia Arquette, which ran for a successful seven seasons.

Three years past, he got a communication from his sister through a remarkably talented psychic, who indicated that Karen desired him to pen down her narrative at this very moment.

As she entrusted me with this task, I promptly set out to accomplish it. I sense that Karen recognized my readiness, and this assignment felt like the last piece fitting into place for me. With a heavy heart, I acknowledge, “This event transpired. Though I am not culpable, I am committed to preserving her legacy.

Kelsey has been through four marriages, and each of them was marked by turmoil. His initial marriage to dance instructor Doreen Alderman lasted for eight years (the last six were spent apart), resulting in a daughter named Spencer. A romance with make-up artist Barrie Buckner brought another daughter, Greer, who gained fame recently in the Frasier reboot. However, his second union with exotic dancer Leigh-Anne Csuhany ended abruptly after just a year, with Kelsey alleging that she inflicted domestic abuse upon him.

In 2011, his 13-year marriage to Camille Donatacci, a frequent cast member of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, came to an end following two children and significant conflicts between them.

Indeed, he proposes that the influence of Karen’s spirit might have encouraged him to conclude certain relationships. He explained it as if he received a subtle hint, something like, “You’ve made your mark here. It’s time to move on.

Despite experiencing tumultuous periods in his personal life, his professional journey flourished and thrived. He was dismissed from Juilliard just prior to Karen’s passing, but he managed to secure a spot on Broadway, followed by the role of Frasier Crane in Cheers in 1984. When Cheers concluded in 1993, Kelsey continued his success with the spin-off series Frasier, which may well be the most successful TV spin-offs to date.

Behind the scenes, however, his life became increasingly complicated. In 1996, he was involved in a car accident under the influence of alcohol and sought treatment at the Betty Ford Center to address his issues. He also recounts a phase in his life where he indulged heavily in drinking, drug abuse, and unconventional sexual activities as depicted in the book.

In the 90s, he underwent therapy – a move that may not come as a surprise given his portrayal of the most renowned fictional therapist – but in the end, he attributes his strong religious beliefs for his recovery. He once stated, “I believe God is the best form of therapy.

Instead of attributing his overindulgences to understandable reactions to past hardships, he admits that his experimentation with drugs and excessive drinking were primarily for personal enjoyment. “It was exciting at first,” he says, “but eventually it lost its appeal. Perhaps I was avoiding success a bit, perhaps…” he laughs, “I took a few wrong turns!

In his opinion, he didn’t take a wrong turn with his fourth marriage, which was to Kayte Walsh, a British ex-flight attendant that he met on a flight from LA to London in 2009. They have been married for 14 years now and are parents to Faith (12), Gabriel (10), and James (8).

She allowed him room to compose his book, and upon completion, he, choked up, declared, “She expressed, ‘I’ve been longing for you.’ She understood that I needed to write it.

They split their time among homes in California, upstate New York, and a 19th-century cottage in Somerset, near Kelsey’s parents Susan and former Bristol City footballer Alan Walsh. Anglophile Kelsey is particularly fond of British culture, including the show “Only Fools and Horses” and its star Nicholas Lyndhurst, who appeared in the latest revival of “Frasier” as Kelsey’s close friend Professor Alan Cornwall.

Despite the show being taken off air earlier this year, I remain optimistic about its return. Allow me to gush over my incredible co-star, Nicholas. ‘He’s a wizard,’ I exclaim. ‘He is an actor without equal in my experience…I adore him. He’s become not just a close friend, but possibly the closest of all.’

Kelsey expresses that he has no plans to retire, explaining, “I’ve got children! I have responsibilities!” Despite his deep affection for his kids, he acknowledges a struggle with over-protectiveness due to the unfortunate incident involving his sister. “I’ve always strived to instill in my kids the importance of keeping their chins up,” he says, “and to be aware of what’s happening around them.

The tragic death of Karen has left a profound impact in the book, as Kelsey narrates how his 10-year-old son Gabriel expressed a desire to retaliate against the person who killed Karen. As he puts it, “Gabe isn’t bothered about dressing himself, but he shows concern for his father’s sorrow.” Kelsey then explains, “I told him, ‘Gabe, harboring resentment doesn’t fix anything. Resentment is what led us here.’

Glenn has been turned down for parole on four occasions, with his next review scheduled for 2027. Has Kelsey granted him forgiveness? ‘Yes,’ he acknowledges. Has he forgiven himself, despite not being at fault? ‘I’m making progress, but I’m not quite there yet,’ is his response. ‘I’ve advanced further than I ever have.’ Writing the book has served as a form of release, and he asserts that it wasn’t only Karen who was liberated, but him too. ‘Now, when her name is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind for me isn’t something negative, but rather something positive.’

Writing about his beloved sister has, he says, ‘set our joy free again’.

  • Karen: A Brother Remembers, available now (Harper Select, £22).

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2025-05-17 13:50

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