Frasier: Kelsey Grammer's past controversies as hit 1990s sitcom returns with Only Fools and Horses actor

Kelsey Grammer became one of TV's most beloved characters as Dr Frasier Crane. The world was first introduced to the character in 'Cheers' back in 1984 before leading his own spin-off show 'Frasier' in 1993.

For nearly 500 episodes of TV, Kelsey Grammer played the character that is set for a big return to the small screen in a new-look rendition of Frasier that will see the Doctor move from Seattle to Boston - where Cheers was set - and heavily feature his son - Freddy.

But it must be noted that as well as controversies in his life, Grammer has also had to deal with extremely tragic circumstances. His father was murdered in 1968 and then his sister Karen Grammer was kidnapped, raped, and murdered in 1975. In 1980 his two teenage half-brothers died in a scuba diving accident.

As if his early life wasn't tragic enough, he also had to overcome more than one miscarriage with his wife Kayte Walsh before his kids were born.

Many other issues in the 68-year-old's life have also raised eyebrows over the decades. NationalWorld takes a look at them below.

Turbulent relationships

It seems Kelsey Grammer has been unable to avoid drama in his personal relationships over the years. He's been married three times before eventually finding 'the one' - his current wife Kayte - who he married in 2011.

He's publicly spoken about how his third marriage with Camille Grammer was exhausting. Grammer even said: "My previous marriage, honestly, I don't really talk about her [Camille] very much because so much of her life is spent talking about me."

His version of events alleges that at his mother's funeral, his ex-wife began to ask for a divorce. And his second marriage to dancer Leigh-Anne Csuhany was arguably even worse.

This marriage lasted just a year and Grammer has claimed she was abusive and fired a gun at him. When Csuhany was three months pregnant, Grammer filed for divorce and evicted her from his home. The marriage ended in a miscarriage.

Further threats from her led to a restraining order being filed. At the time, the actor said: "I am deeply saddened by the events leading to the loss of the unborn child.... I had dreamed of raising the baby in a stable and loving environment."

Addiction

Likely a coping mechanism from his troubled younger life and failed relationships, Kelsey Grammer has had a much-publicised struggle with addiction - mainly related to alcohol and cocaine. In 1990, he ended up in prison for drunk driving but says he is a changed man now.

After years of being sober and being an Alcoholics Anonymous member, Grammer said in 2016 that he was now a “reformed drinker,” and was able to enjoy at least one drink a day. However, he stays away from cocaine, claiming “you are dicing with death when you go down that road.”

But it's not just alcohol and drugs that were his vices. He's said before that he thinks he has an 'addictive personality' as women and other experiences have fed into his troubles in the past.

His cast members from both Cheers and Frasier staged interventions to try and help him overcome his addiction to alcohol and cocaine. However, it wasn’t until Grammer's drink-driving accident in 1996 that he decided enough was enough and checked himself into rehab.

Legal controversies

In 1995, a babysitter accused Grammer of rape, a charge which a grand jury declined to indict him on because the young woman took more than a year to speak out on the incident and there was a lack of physical evidence. She insisted that the actor had intercourse with her twice at a resort.

In 2001, one of exes, Cerlette Lamme, sued the actor for libel and invasion of privacy. This occurred after he mentioned Lamme in his autobiography, So Far, where he alleged she was needy and lost their dog after getting high. 

Grammer has also been charged at least three times in his life for cocaine possession - in 1988, 1990 and in 1991.

The actor also got caught up in an internet pyramid scheme called Staropoly.com that reportedly lost him $1 million and led to accusations that he orchestrated the scheme. He was sued for his suspected involvement, but it was eventually dropped.

Thankfully for Grammer, neither saw the light of day, but two sex tapes linked to his previous relationships could have had a lasting impact on his public image.

His ex-wife Camille Donatacci had threatened to release on in 2010 and further back in 1998, he allegedly sued a woman who stole a tape from his house involving him and another woman. He eventually dropped this suit too.

Politics

These issues aren't controversies, but still perhaps would have lost Grammer many fans - while gaining others. He is a vocal supporter of the Republican Party and is regarded as 'one of Hollywood's best-known Republicans'. His wife also posted an image of him in 2015 wearing a 'pro-life' T-shirt.

He stated in a 2016 interview with The Guardian that the person he admired most was Vladimir Putin "because he is so comfortably who he is."

He supported Ben Carson's run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, although he also voiced support for Donald Trump's policies while saying he thought he was a "brat".

This story deals with issues concerning mental health, and if you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts or struggling with mental health issues you can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email them at [email protected], or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.