Greer Grammer, the actress daughter of Frasier star Kelsey Grammer, has opened up about a heartbreaking revelation from her father that left her in tears, following their 12-year estrangement.
The Painful Revelation
The 33-year-old, who was largely raised by her makeup artist mother Barrie Buckner with little paternal presence during her childhood, detailed the moment on the Pretty Basic podcast. She explained that years after reconnecting with her father in 2008, Kelsey, now 70, told her he and her mother had once debated whether Greer should bear his famous surname.
"He told me this later, but he was like, 'I told your mom. I asked her, or I said it might be better for you to not have my last name,'" Greer recounted. "I think I was 19 when he told me that, and I just started sobbing, because to me, that was like the meanest thing you could ever say to somebody."
She interpreted his past suggestion as a stark admission of his anticipated absence. "Like, 'I knew I wasn't going to be in your life, so I told your mom it would probably be easier for you to not have my last name.'"
A Strained Relationship and Reconnection
Kelsey Grammer did not play a significant role in Greer's life from the age of four until she was 16. Their path to reconciliation began unexpectedly at a Christmas tree farm when Greer was a teenager, marking the start of rebuilding their bond.
Despite the painful conversation about her surname, Greer ultimately kept her father's last name. "That was always the last name that I had," she stated, noting her birth had even been announced to the press with the Grammer name.
Fatherhood Reflections and a Growing Family
This poignant family story emerges as Kelsey Grammer recently became a father for the eighth time in October, welcoming a son named Christopher with his fourth wife, Kayte Walsh. The actor described the new arrival as a "blessing" in a recent interview with TMZ.
Grammer, who also shares children Faith, 13, Gabriel, 11, and James, 8, with Kayte, has been reflective about his earlier parenting. In conversation with E! News, he admitted to past shortcomings. "I've got older kids and I still reflect on that," he said. "I think, 'Well maybe I could've done that all better.'"
He attributed some of his early struggles to personal demons and tragedy, suggesting he has improved as a father with time. "I was probably a little weak on that element in the early days, because I was still sort of fleshing myself out," Grammer confessed, indicating he feels he's been given another chance to get fatherhood right with his younger children.
