‘The Andy Griffith Show’: Don Knotts’ Daughter Dispels Biggest Misconceptions About Him and Andy

In a recent interview, the daughter of Don Knotts talked about Knott’s time on The Andy Griffith Show, and some misconceptions about his relationship with Andy Griffith. Apparently, there were rumors that there was bad blood between Andy Griffith and Knotts. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“Some people still think they were rivals. They weren’t rivals at all. There was no rivalry. Andy was my dad’s biggest fan. He was a mentor to him his whole life and they loved each other dearly,” Knotts’ daughter, Karen, told Fox.

Karen is releasing a book about her and her father called Tied up in Knotts: My Dad and Me. The book talks about Don Knott’s life and gives people a deeper look at who he was as a father. Knotts was married three times and had two children, Karen and Thomas.

‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Stars Were Close Friends

Karen admitted that some people weren’t a huge fan of Andy. He was quite the independent thinker and liked to “do things his own way.”

But that never stopped Don Knotts from becoming fast friends with Griffith. The two worked incredibly well together on the set of The Andy Griffith Show and were trailblazers of the sitcom era. Karen also noted that Griffith wasn’t above giving credit where credit is due and always called Knotts “the funny one.”

Many believed that Don Knotts and Andy Griffith had to be rivals because Knotts eventually left the show. This was also untrue.

“But eventually, my dad got an offer to do something different. Andy was very gracious about it. And then many years later when Andy was doing “Matlock,” he offered my dad a role. And this was a time when my dad was starting to believe he wasn’t going to do television anymore,” she continued. At that point, Knotts had been diagnosed with macular degeneration which was really hurting his ability to see.

But Andy made sure to be there for his old friend.

“Andy was there for him. He supported him. He was a constant presence in my dad’s life. They just loved each other,” she continued.

It looks like the truth behind the relationship between Griffith and Knotts was a lot more beautiful than any rumors that have been spread over the years. They weren’t rivals. Instead, they were lifelong friends. While some stars only remain friends while working together, Griffith and Knotts remained close and continued to work together even after Knotts decided to leave The Andy Griffith Show.

So next time you watch The Andy Griffith Show and see Andy Taylor and Barney Fife, know that their friendship was strong, even when the cameras were off.