Kelsey Grammer, iconic actor best known for his roles in Frasier and Cheers, has recently opened up about his darkest days of life in recent memoir, giving a peek behind the curtain.
The 70-year-old actor still feels the pain of losing his younger sister, Karen, who was tragically kidnapped and killed in 1975. Even though he was miles away, he’s never been able to forgive himself for not being there to protect her.
But Kelsey shared that writing his book, Karen: A Brother Remembers, 50 years later, has helped him finally find peace with his grief and guilt.
He shared with Us Weekly: “It’s been amazing. I don’t carry the self-loathing part anymore. I don’t blame myself anymore. I just miss her.
“The whole idea was to bring Karen here to remember her. People have said, ‘Wow, I really feel like I got to know her,’ and that’s what I wanted to do. And also release myself from some of the guilt I’ve lived with for a long time.
“[The book] is definitely joyful. For a long time, the grief was in the ascendancy and stayed there. And finally, the joy kind of crept back.
They live evenly now – maybe even a little weighted more toward the joy. If there’s one thing I hope I can pass on to people who’ve suffered similar grief, it’s to look back on the life [the person] lived rather than the life they lost,” the actor and producer added.
However, Kelsey admitted that revisiting the details of Karen’s death was incredibly painful.
