Birgen Hartman Is Phil Hartman's Only Daughter and an Erin's Law Advocate

After Phil Hartman's death, Birgen Hartman lived a quiet life away from the spotlight. As she has grown older, she regularly takes to social media to remember her father and has devoted her life to helping others who have also suffered trauma.

On May 28, 1998, Birgen's life changed after her mother fatally shot her father before dying by suicide. The tragedy shocked the nation as fans mourned Phil's death and remembered his legacy as one of the best comedians produced by "Saturday Night Live."

An orphan, Birgen's maternal aunt and her husband, Katherine and Mike Wright, welcomed Birgen and her brother into their home. Her family changed Birgen's name to protect her from the media, but Birgen has grown up to embrace her past and honor her late father.

Birgen Hartman Is an Erin's Law Advocate

Born in February 1992, Birgen was six and in the house when her parents died. She spent the rest of her childhood in Wisconsin with her brother, aunt, and uncle. Her paternal uncle later revealed that family members from her father's side were unhappy about the move. Of his reaction, he recalled:

"I started with my mother and said, 'Ma, we have to do the right thing here. These people did not kill Phil. And they're good people.' I was trying to keep the two families as one."

Birgen graduated from the University of St. Thomas and Minnesota University with degrees in Journalism and Communication and, according to a local researcher and editor, led a band called Glitter Bomb.

After joining Instagram, she had amassed over twenty thousand followers at the time of writing and shared glimpses of her life, including her travels.

Birgen also took to social media to share in a post that she had completed her Consent Culture Educator certification and was one step closer to helping schools enforce Erin's Law.

Named after activist and sexual assault survivor Erin Merryn, Erin's Law is a legislation and non-profit organization that strives for child sexual abuse prevention. A passionate advocate of Erin's Law, in her caption, Birgen wrote:

"So back at it– getting coffee (chai) with teachers, school admins, and student leaders... having tough conversations and hopefully getting a step closer every day to protecting kids from sexual assault and offering free resources to survivors."

Phil Hartman's Daughter Got Married in 2018

Outside of school and work, Birgen also found time for love. Her relationship with her husband, Brandon, dates as far back as 2013 when he gifted her a pink helmet, and Birgen wrote, "Going to pick out a motorcycle today."

Little is known about Birgen's husband, but in 2018, she shared pictures from her wedding day in Lombardia, Italy. The grand European celebration was one of three of the couple's weddings and included 200 of their closest people.

However, Birgen revealed that everything that could have gone wrong did – from the wrong flowers to the wrong deserts and her fainting.

However, the occasion produced perfect photos as she dawned a body-hugging, lace wedding gown accompanied by a veil while the groom opted for a casual look in a navy blue suit with the top buttons popped.

Birgen Frequently Mentions Her Parents on Social Media

In 2016, Birgen shared a black-and-white picture of her late father in honor of father's day and shared that it was a day that left her feeling grateful. She wrote:

"As another Father's Day comes to an end, I remind myself that no matter what, I'm very fortunate to have had a number of great father figures in my life."

In 2016, she posted a picture of a bouquet as she thanked her family, friends, and fans for their role in her life as a supportive community – one she knew her late parents would be proud of.

In 2022, Birgen honored Phil Hartman on his 74th birthday with a picture of him in a cat costume and humorously wrote, "Thanks for the personality disorder."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.