Kelsey Grammer has struggled with the loss of his sister, Karen Grammer, for decades. But now, the Cheers alum is opening up about his late sibling and honoring her in his 2025 book, Karen: A Brother Remembers. In the member, the actor takes readers back in time and through the aftermath of Karen’s death.
“I don’t know why I spent so much time feeling like I was coming up short,” Kelsey said during a May 2025 interview with ABC News, referring to his sister. “I always felt like I was missing it, just a little bit behind them — behind the game, not quite up to it. And she always reassured me I was doing a good job, that I was a good brother.”
Noting that he was the older sibling, Kelsey also said to ABC that Karen was the “bolder” one out of them.
Below, learn more about Kelsey’s late sister, Karen, and what happened to her.
Who Was Kelsey Grammer’s Sister?
Karen, had a full life ahead of her. Describing his sister as “an Oreo cookie dipped in an ice cold Coca-Cola,” the Fraiser star also called her “a poem, a light, fun, innocent, and wise” in his book.
“She wrote poetry and loved being alive; we could laugh for hours together,” Kelsey wrote in his memoir “I was supposed to protect her — I could not. I have never gotten over it. I was supposed to save her. I could not. It very nearly destroyed me.”
How Old Was Kelsey Grammer’s Sister When She Died?
Karen was 18 years old when she was murdered in July 1975.
What Happened to Kelsey Grammer’s Sister Karen?
In July 1975, Karen was living in Colorado and was abducted by several men who were trying to rob the restaurant where she worked. They drove Karen to a mobile home park, raped and stabbed her, ultimately killing the then-18-year-old. One of Karen’s attackers named Freddie Glenn was convicted of her murder in 1976 and is currently serving a life sentence in prison.
During Kelsey’s May 2025 ABC interview, the actor admitted he “had horrors in [his] mind that were craving the truth, what [he] knew happened, and to feel her steps, her final steps, to be in her, to be with her.” He then pointed out that the “mission” he has in releasing his book “is to heal.”
“But the mission is also to help heal other people,” Kelsey added. “And by introducing them to Karen, it is my hope that they’re reintroducing themselves to the loved ones they’ve lost in the same way. … I spent a long time on her death and very little on her life. And that’s what I hope people will take — spend time on the life you lost. Spend time on the life you shared rather than the day you lost it.”
Kelsey’s 2025 book, Karen: A Brother Remembers, was released on May 6.
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