Anybody who watched “Saturday Night Live” from 1995 to 2009 knows Darrell Hammond was darn impressive. Known for his portrayals of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Chris Matthews, Sean Connery, Donald Trump and others, he maintained a reputation of being a showstopper. There are even those who claim that Darrell’s impressions of Gore affected the former VP’s presidential run.
But offstage, Darrell wasn’t so funny. In fact he was pretty pathetic. You name it and he probably did it. From self-cutting backstage and drug and alcohol abuse to numerous rehab stints, he definitely wasn’t handling his life well. In fact in preparation for an “SNL” Mother’s Day skit, he “flipped out” and was taken away in a straight jacket.
The reason? According to his book, “God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m F*cked,” he was a victim of child abuse, both emotionally and physically, at the hands of his mother. He describes growing up in his household as being similar to that of life as a POW.
Such a powerful story will be told by Darrell himself at the second annual Join the Fight Luncheon benefiting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County on Thursday, February 6, at the Embassy Suites in Frisco.
According to Event Chair Carolyn Speese, “Darrell’s story will really resonate with luncheon attendees because it illustrates that child abuse happens not only in the darkest corners of our society but also in the most unexpected places to people we know and love. None of us watching him portray Al Gore or Bill Clinton on ‘Saturday Night Live’ would have imagined all that Darrell experienced, but the truth is that child abuse is much more common than any of us would like to believe.”
Be prepared, though. As you can guess from the title of Darrell’s book, this talk is going to be. . . shall we say, a bit raw. So, keep the kiddos in school and be forewarned that you’ll likely hear some very tough talk. But then that’s what the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County deals with on a daily basis — the reality of child abuse.
“Nearly 1,100 children are confirmed victims of abuse or neglect each year in our community,” CACCC CEO Lynne McLean said. “This luncheon provides a chance for our generous business and community leaders to ‘join the fight’ against child abuse and give children in Collin County help and hope for the future.”
Individual tickets are $125 with sponsorships ranging from $1,200 to $20,000.
* Photo provided by Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County
Robin Bagwell says
I heard Darrell Hammond speak at Resource Recovery\\\\\\\’s Stars in Recovery Luncheon last spring. He is definately worth the price of admission. Great speaker!