Did ‘Palm Royale’ Stars Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence Really Feud?
What To Know
- Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence, longtime collaborators from The Carol Burnett Show, experienced a period of estrangement following Burnett’s divorce from producer Joe Hamilton, which affected their personal and professional relationship.
- Lawrence has said that Burnett’s difficult divorce led her to distance herself from those connected to Hamilton, including Lawrence, but the two have since reconciled and grown closer than ever.
- Burnett and Lawrence are reuniting on screen in the second season of Apple TV+’s Palm Royale, marking a renewed chapter in their enduring friendship and professional partnership.
Powerhouse comedians Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence spent years as collaborators on The Carol Burnett Show and later on the first few seasons of Lawrence’s Mama’s Family. And the two will once again appear on screen together in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, which premieres its second season on Wednesday, November 12. But in between, the relationships between Burnett and Lawrence suffered some ups and downs, including a period when the two didn’t speak — a conflict that was likely due to Burnett’s divorce from her second husband, producer Joe Hamilton.
Lawrence was just a teenager when she wrote Burnett a fan letter pointing out their resemblance, and Burnett, impressed by her boldness, invited her to join the cast of her show. The two quickly bonded, and over the next decade, their chemistry on-screen became a highlight of the show, especially in recurring sketches like “The Family,” where Lawrence’s sharp-tongued Mama often stole the scene.
Did Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence Really Have a Feud?
After The Carol Burnett Show ended in 1978, Lawrence’s Mama character spun off into her own sitcom, Mama’s Family, which premiered in 1983. The show was produced by Burnett’s then-husband, Joe Hamilton, and for a time, Burnett herself reprised her role as Eunice, Mama’s high-strung daughter.
But as Burnett and Hamilton’s marriage fell apart, tensions reportedly grew. Their 1984 divorce created emotional and professional fallout that extended beyond their personal lives. Lawrence later suggested that Burnett, hurt by the breakup, distanced herself from everyone connected to Hamilton’s production, and that included her.
Everett Collection
What Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence Have Said About Each Other Over the Years
The situation was complicated by Mama’s Family being revived in syndication without Burnett’s involvement. “She went through a horrible divorce,” Lawrence recalled, according to Wide Open Country. “So, it was almost … for a while there, it was almost like she divorced all of us who were involved with [Hamilton] at all. I know it was tough for her.” She added, “I’m glad we are so close now. We’re closer than we ever have been, really.”
In recent years, Burnett and Lawrence have spoken kindly about one another and appeared together at events celebrating their legacy. Now, they are set to reunite in the second season of Palm Royale, premiering on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Burnett previously spoke about how she wanted to cast Lawrence on the series and said, according to IndieWire Television, “I wish they could find something for [Vicki] on the show. I’m going to ask Abe if there’s a part that might come up because that would be fun to have Vicki on. That would really be something.” Sounds like they found a good fit! Will you be watching?
Classic Comedy Duos
March 2021
Chuckle at television & films funniest comic duos.
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