EXCLUSIVE: Carol Burnett’s ‘Abandoned’ Grandson Survived ‘Terrifying’ Attack Inside Homeless Shelter — ‘He Was Unable to Defend Himself’ Trapped in a Wheelchair
Carol Burnett has spoken to her grandson 'once' in five years.
May 12 2025, Published 1:48 p.m. ET
The grandson of comic legend Carol Burnett survived a terrifying physical attack in the Los Angeles homeless shelter where he has been "abandoned," RadarOnline.com has learned.
Zachary Carlson, 28, has been left to fight for his life in the rough-and-tumble South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles for the past 11 months — all while battling a series of deadly conditions, as this outlet revealed.
Zachary's Painful Battle
Carlson is the oldest son of Carol’s estranged daughter Erin Hamilton.
Wheelchair-bound Carlson has painful complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS) and other neuropathic and musculoskeletal ailments.
His 92-year-old grandmother of The Carol Burnett Show fame — who is worth a staggering $45million — lives just 90 miles from Carlson in a palatial $8.4million mansion.
But she has not aided or assisted her bloodline and has spoken to him just once since 2020, leaving some to blast the television icon as both "cruel" and "heartless."
Now a source has shed more light on the brutal assault, telling RadarOnline.com: "The assault terrified him as he was unable to defend himself in a wheelchair."
"The following day the shelter attempted to transfer him to another shelter in Crenshaw, Los Angeles," the insider added. "Zachary was so terrified that a friend temporarily put him into a Motel 6 until another homeless shelter could be found."
Carlson alluded to the incident on his GoFundMe, writing: "I am quite honestly terrified of the possibility of having nowhere to go. I’m really hoping this might help change that."
A Painful Past
Burnett's grandson, who is in a wheelchair, has been left to live in a homeless shelter.
Carlson is the oldest son of Carol’s estranged daughter, Erin Hamilton, 56, who has long battled substance abuse problems.
According to a close friend of Carlson, his deathward spiral began in 2020 when, aged 23, he suffered a relapse after an overdose.
The source said: "In the hospital he was unable to move, and he was informed he had multiple spinal seizures. He spent just under a year in the hospital doing physical therapy. He had some improvement, but it rendered him partially quadriplegic."
Zachary's mother Erin has reached out to the Hollywood icon for help.
The Carol Burnett Show star spoke to her grandson once while he was hospitalized — but the pair haven’t spoken since, the insider said.
Added the source: "She only spoke to him after her daughter pleaded with her to do so."
"Erin (the mother) and Zachary have both reached out to Carol to ask for some mercy, and to get help — of any kind — for Zachary, so he can, at the very least, be in a safe environment," the insider added.
"There has been no outreach or emotional support of any kind from Carol, at all, zip."
Carol's 'Refusing' To Help
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The Hollywood star has spoken to her grandson 'once' in five years.
Another source said: “Carol is refusing any kind of family support. This is not tough love; this is cruel and heartless. She is making no real effort, and completely ignoring her daughter and disabled grandson, treating them both as if they are invisible or dead.”
Burnett has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment from RadarOnline.com.
