Betty Seinfeld Is Jerry Seinfeld's Mother Born to Immigrant Parents – Facts about Her

Betty Seinfeld had a difficult life as a daughter of immigrants who was later orphaned. However, after tying the knot, she lived her dream of having her own family. She and her husband's hands-off approach to parenting saw their son accomplish his aspirations of becoming a comedian.

Famous comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld suffered a significant loss when his mother, Betty Seinfeld, died years ago. The world has learned of Betty Seinfeld's incredible story through her son, which pulls at the heartstrings.

After bouncing around from orphanage to orphanage, Betty Seinfeld married a man who also came from a broken home when she was in her 30s. However, despite her complex background, Jerry Seinfeld revealed his mother was a loving woman.

Betty Seinfeld Grew up as an Orphan

Betty, née Hosni, and her family originated from Syria before migrating to the United States. However, they often described their nationality as Turkish. "I never knew that. I thought they were Syrian. They were definitely Jewish. I can guarantee you that," Jerry once shared.

Betty lost her husband in 1985 to a battle with multiple types of cancer.

In 1909, when Betty's father, Selim Hosni, was 26, he boarded the S.S. Hudson and made the journey to America. He was joined by Betty's mother, Salha, and her older sister, Orizia, who was an infant then, a year later. Betty was born in Syria before she also relocated to American shores. However, she later spent her childhood in foster care and moved between orphanages.

Jerry Seinfeld on How His Mother and Father Raised Him

Growing up as an orphan planted a deep desire to have children of her own in Betty, who was already in her 30s when she married Jerry's father, Kalman, who also came from a broken home. "So they were wild dogs themselves. They didn't fit into any normal [box]," their son said.

After a difficult pregnancy, Betty welcomed her first child, Jerry's older sister Carolyn, in 1952. Betty had to endure another challenging pregnancy two years later and gave birth to Jerry, born Jerome, in 1954.

The comedian spent the first months of childhood in a crowded apartment in Brooklyn before his family moved to a modest home on Long Island. During an interview, Jerry Seinfeld revealed that his mother and father were loving parents who were also disinterested, but in a good way. The comedian added:

"They were loners. They kind of raised us in a very hands-off way. I said, 'I want to be a comedian.' They said, 'Oh, well, we look forward to hearing about it.'"

Betty Seinfeld's Passing

According to reports, Betty lost her husband in 1985 to a battle with multiple types of cancer. She spent her days after that in Florida before she died in 2014 at 98 years old. Betty was survived by her daughter, son, and at least three grandchildren from her son.

After Jerry and his wife, Jessica Seinfeld, said, "I do," they welcomed their first child, daughter Sascha Betty, on November 7, 2000, in New York. Their son, Julian Kal, was born three years later, and the youngest of Jerry's kids, Shepherd Kellen, was born on August 22, 2005.