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 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.
The Stress of Fame Plagued Richard Too
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.
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.
Losing Weight was Always on Her Mind
Cutting back on food was only one approach Karen would use to lose unwanted pounds. She discovered that certain pills caused weight loss by raising metabolism, and others by different means. She took 80 to 90 laxative tablets in one night. She found thyroid medication could speed up her metabolism, so she took those in excess.
The pills overtaxed her organs. Around that time, Karen began seeing psychotherapist Steven Levenkron, who treated her for anorexia. Levenkron specialized in treating eating disorders.