Betty Kovacs, 1947 – 2026

News comes from my friends at The Hollywood Reporter that Betty Kovacs, daughter of the great Ernie Kovacs (an early crush of mine!) died on June 21. She was 79. Betty was the subject of two nasty custody fights: Ernie got custody of Betty and her younger sister Kip when their birth mother, Bette Wilcox, was found to be unfit. When Kovacs died in a 1962 car accident (do not try to light your cigar while driving!), the first Mrs. Kovacs fought with his second wife, actress Edie Adams, and lost. Betty became a trained dancer and appeared in several regional shows and summer stock, and later worked as a casting director.