Sarah Silverman's Family Horror — Comic Reveals Unbelievable Moment She Discovered Grandfather Killed Her Brother
Sarah Silverman has opened up about the heartbreaking moment her father told her the real reason her baby brother died.
May 20 2025, Published 9:05 a.m. ET
Sarah Silverman has opened about the moment she discovered her baby brother was killed by her own grandfather.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Saturday Night Live comic, 54, had previously believed Jeffrey died, aged just three months, after slipping through a space between the mattress and the bottom rail of his crib and "suffocated".
Father's Tragic Admission
Silverman said her father told her Jeffrey died after being 'shaken' by her grandad.
However, Silverman always felt dubious over the story, saying: "If you look back, there was never a lawsuit with the crib company or anything."
She has now claimed, confirmed her worst fears, which her late father Donald told her, prior to his death in 2023.
He said the tot actually tragically died at the hands of her "violent" grandfather who "shook him in a range" while babysitting.
When writing her 2010 memoir, The Bedwetter, Silverman observed a significant detail, despite her parents' differing perspectives on "every issue of their marriage."
Silverman was told baby Jeffrey died after he suffocated.
In her book, Silverman recounted that while her dad Donald and mom Beth Ann, were on vacation her infant brother Jeffrey was left in the care of her grandparents, Max and Rose.
Max later told his son during that time he had been checking on crying Jeffrey at night because Rose had difficulty hearing.
The following morning, when her grandfather went to check on Jeffrey, he is thought to have discovered the baby had suffocated.
In 2022, the year before Donald's death, he attended a Manhattan production of her memoir, which had been turned to a musical, seeing it five nights in a row.
The show contained a scene depicting a young Silverman making a joke about the death of her brother, to her grandmother, and nobody laughing.
Silverman says her dad told her his father 'shook him in a rage and killed' her brother.
After the fifth performance, Donald went backstage and shared a different account of Jeffrey's death, telling his daughter his own father, her grandfather, was responsible.
The former 'SNL' star recalled her father saying: "I always felt that he was crying or something, and my dad shook him. He shook him in a rage and killed him."
This revelation reportedly caused her manager to gasp.
"As soon as he said it, it was like: "Of course, that’s what happened,'" Silverman went on.
Referring to Beth Ann, who died in 2015: "(Donald’s) mother always stood by her husband. She watched him beat the s--- out of her son. I couldn't ask my mom, because she was dead."
Father's 'Heartbreaking' Childhood
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 comic was extremely close to her dad Donald before he passed away in 2023.
Silverman had shared about her father's "heartbreaking" childhood, and how he was beaten daily by his father.
"He had a younger brother who wasn't touched. His father made the kids call him Mr Silverman."
According to Silverman, her father frequently delivered shocking truths out of the blue.
She recalled: "We were playing poker once, and he just dropped in that one of the priests at his school fondled him. I was like 'Dad!' He was always dropping bombs."
Her father passed away in 2023, shortly after the death of Janice, his second wife of over 40 years.
