‘The Andy Griffith Show’: Don Knotts’ Daughter Relives Moment He Passed Away in New Interview

When Don Knotts passed away in 2006, the world lost a legendary comedian. In an interview talking about her father, Karen Knotts discloses a multitude of information concerning him, including the moment he died.

Fox News recently spoke to Karen Knotts about her father at length. Discussing her new memoir, Tied Up in Knotts: My Dad and Me, Karen provided a wealth of information concerning the late actor and comedian. Among those topics was the moment her dad died. The news outlet mentioned Karen left the room to laugh while Don was on his deathbed and asked about the statement’s validity. According to her, it is true.

“He wasn’t there trying to make anybody laugh – he was naturally funny!” Karen explained. “And at times, he would be funny when he didn’t mean to be. So that’s what happened. We were sitting with him because we knew it was very close to the end of his illness. It was just such a somber mood. Then all of a sudden he just started doing something so funny that just gave us the giggles. And he would do that – just suddenly do or say something at a quiet moment to make you laugh. That came to him naturally.”

Continuing, Karen Knotts said she simply couldn’t hold the laughter in anymore. Knowing her father could be sensitive, she didn’t want to upset him. “But I just thought, ‘Oh my God, I need to step out now.’ I later told [director] Howard Storm about it. And he said, ‘You should have stayed there and laughed! That’s what comedians live for.’ But I didn’t want to hurt my dad’s feelings at that moment. It was a tough call!”

Karen Knotts Says Live TV was ‘Excruciatingly Difficult’ for Her Father

Many of us hate the sound of our own voice when we hear recordings or think we look silly in videos. Don Knotts apparently felt the same but to an extreme. Because of that, Karen Knotts says live television appearances were “excruciatingly difficult” for her father.

In the same Fox News interview, Karen discussed her father’s acting. Revealing Don was a perfectionist, this made live performances a brutal experience for him. “He started getting therapy when he was in New York,” Karen disclosed. “That was in the ‘50s. Live television was excruciatingly difficult for him because he was a perfectionist when it came to his comedy. He couldn’t even watch his shows so he never got the satisfaction of seeing these great performances that he was doing.”

Luckily, Karen’s mother got Don to see a psychiatrist in New York. Though this didn’t work out, it made it easier for him to see another in California, who Don stuck with his whole life. Karen said it took some time, but he eventually was able to cope with how he felt.