Zachary Carlson, a 28-year-old wheelchair user whose grandmother is the legendary Carol Burnett, is living a reality far from Hollywood’s glitz and glamour. Zachary has been abandoned in a shelter even though he’s suffering from a serious health condition.
Sadly, Zachary was recently attacked in a shelter where he should have felt safe. He had been trying to stay alive in a rough area of Los Angeles, even with no real help, no stable home, and no support from the family he came from, when this attack happened.
Zachary Carlson couldn’t defend himself against the attackers
Carlson is the oldest son of Carol’s estranged daughter, who has long battled substance abuse problems — but now claims to have been clean and sober for the past 18 months.
According to a close friend of Carlson, his deathward spiral began in 2020 when, aged 23. pic.twitter.com/tFp4d7O8KD
— Radar Online (@radar_online) May 9, 2025
Zachary was in a wheelchair and unable to move, when he was attacked in the place that was supposed to be his shelter. He could not fight back. He could not run. He was completely exposed. “He was terrified. There was nothing he could do,” a close source shared. The next day, the shelter tried to move him somewhere else, but the fear had already settled in him. He was not just hurt. He was shaken to the core.
A friend stepped in temporarily and got him into a Motel 6 just to give him a breather. On his GoFundMe, Zachary wrote, “I’m honestly terrified of the possibility of having nowhere to go.” The desperation is evident in his words. He just wants to feel safe. Zachary currently suffers from complex regional pain syndrome, partial paralysis, and other illnesses.
Carol Burnett is not stepping in to save her grandson
Zachary is the son of Erin Hamilton, Carol Burnett’s daughter, who has battled addiction for years. When Zachary overdosed at 23, it led to spinal seizures that left him in the hospital for almost a year. After months of therapy, he became partially quadriplegic. Since then, he’s had almost no contact with his grandmother, not even a check-in.
Sources say Carol only spoke to him once, during that hospital stay, and only after his mother begged her to. Since then? Silence. No visit. No call. No help. “This isn’t tough love,” someone close to the family said. “It’s cruel. It’s like they don’t exist to her.” Zachary and his mom have both tried to reach out. They’ve made it clear in every way that he is on his own.