Johnny Carson's Black Granddaughter Lived in a 'Hovel' on Welfare & Lost Her Mom in Fire Later

• Johnny Carson's granddaughter was raised in poverty, and her parents were constantly involved in child support court battles before and after she was born.
• Despite having a famous and successful grandfather, Cristal lived in poverty.
• In 2021, Cristal suffered a tragic loss when her mother died in a house fire.

Cristal's Father Was Ordered to Pay Child Support

While Johnny Carson was a successful talk show host, comedian, and actor who scooped many accolades, including six Primetime Emmys, his black granddaughter lived a not-so-prestigious life.

Johnny's granddaughter, Cristal Love Carson, is the child of his son Christopher Carson, and Tanena Love Green. Even though Cristal's father came from a privileged background, her life said otherwise.

Before Cristal was born, her parents were involved in a back-and-forth battle about child support. According to reports, Christopher tried to trick Tanena into thinking he had HIV/AIDS so she would abort the baby.

When Cristal was eight months old, her father was ordered by a judge in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to pay $125 temporarily weekly child after her mother Tanena took him to court for withdrawing financial support four months after Cristal was born.

According to Tanena's attorney, Jeffrey Miller, she claimed Cristal was living in a "hovel" and languishing in "poverty." She also alleged that she had photos of Cristal with rodent bites.

A year later, the child support went slightly up, and a Broward Circuit court judge ordered Christopher to pay $175 weekly. However, Cristal's mother was not satisfied with the ruling, as she had requested $500 weekly child support.

During the hearing, Christopher had testified that he didn't make much money and only lived off his father's generosity. In his statement, Cristopher claimed his father gifted him a home in Fort Lauderdale worth $119,000, two cars, and also gave him $35,000 a year.

Tanena, who had two other older children, claimed she didn't earn much, making $130 monthly from babysitting and ironing. Tanena also claimed that she and her daughter received food stamps free cheese and butter, but the benefits had since been discontinued.

She also alleged that she was living in a rough neighborhood and had fears that people would kidnap Cristal and ask for huge amounts of money, considering she is the granddaughter of a high-profile celebrity.

The Tragic Death of Cristal's Mother

Tanena tragically passed away in 2021 at the age of 70. She met her untimely death after her house caught fire. Reports indicate the fire rescue units responded to several emergency calls about a house in flames.

Cristal's mother was rescued and transported to Broward Medical Center, but unfortunately didn't make it. At the time, Cristal took to her social media to share the news of her mother's passing and paid her a touching tribute, remembering the times they shared.

Cristal's father, Christopher, was Johnny's eldest son, whom he shared with his first wife, Jody Morrill Wolcott. The former couple also shared two more children, Richard and Cory Carson. Unfortunately, Richard passed away at 39 in 1991 in a tragic car accident.