While the world focused on Karen and the strange new disease she was diagnosed with, no one witnessed Richard’s struggles. He kept his addiction well hidden. The 1971 tour wore him down. He eased the stress with a prescription of Quaaludes.
Gradually upping his dose, the habit became a major addiction. Richard abruptly quit touring on September 4, 1978, and refused to show for a UK TV appearance. Rumors about the duo splitting and him abandoning Karen swirled while he hid from the limelight.
Fans Start to Show Concern
Karen’s attempts at masking her emaciated frame fooled no one. Fans became so alarmed they approached the Carpenters’ agent about the singer’s condition. Worried she might be dying of cancer, or some other fatal illness, fans questioned Bash. Ironically, they were right, she was dying of a fatal illness. But no one knew what it was.
Her physical appearance was so shocking that, occasionally, an audible gasp from the audience greeted Karen when she took the stage. One critic, obviously confused, praised her entrance from the drums to the mic, but then said, “She is terribly thin, almost a wraith, and should be gowned more becomingly.” One acquaintance said she looked like “a Holocaust victim.”
The Disease Begins to Physically Affect Karen
Everyone was becoming more and more concerned. Exhaustion overwhelmed her often, and she would have to lie down to get her strength back. In 1975, following a tour in Las Vegas, Karen checked into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
A doctor finally diagnosed the mysterious disease that was killing her. He said in a statement that anorexia nervosa was causing her physical and nervous exhaustion. He said she was too ill to perform. It cost the Carpenters their European tour. Refunded tickets went out for all 50 shows.
Karen Marries Real Estate Developer Thomas James Burris
After dating famous men like Mike Curb, Tony Danza, Terry Ellis, Mark Harmon, Steve Martin, and Alan Osmond, Karen settled down with Tom Burris. The two lovebirds were engaged after dating just two months. They tied the knot on August 31, 1980.
It wasn’t until they were nearly wed that she discovered Burris could not have kids due to a vasectomy. Karen dreamed about marrying and having children. His condition shattered her lifelong dream. She almost called off the marriage, and in retrospect, perhaps she should have.
The Marriage Lasted 14 Months
Karen’s mom Agnes wouldn’t allow her to call off the wedding, arguing that it had already been paid for. It shouldn’t have mattered with her success. But when she found out that her new husband was broke and enjoyed living lavishly off of her riches, she began considering divorce.
Tom would withdraw $50,000 at a time, draining her cash account. He treated her cruelly on top of it all. He called her a “bag of bones” and said she would never have his child. She came to her senses and divorced him the following year.