‘Columbo’ Star Peter Falk’s Daughter Was Banned from His Funeral by Stepmom & Couldn’t Even Say Goodbye to Dad

• Peter Falk died, leaving two daughters behind.
• At the time, he was married to his second wife, Shera Danese.
• One of his kids revealed that Peter's spouse made their lives difficult because she isolated them from him.

Peter Falk was a father of two and was married twice in his lifetime. However, he ended up being incapacitated and isolated from his kids, and one had to fight in court to see him.

Peter was an award-winning actor, best known for playing Lieutenant Columbo in the 1968 drama series "Columbo," which aired on NBC and ABC networks. The show ran for ten seasons, and he won several awards for his role.

Apart from his acting career, Peter was a family man. He was married to his first wife, Alyce Mayo, from 1960 until 1976, and they shared two daughters, Catherine Falk and Jackie Falk.

Recently, Catherine spoke out about her father's fame. In the May 2021 interview, she was asked whether her father loved being famous, and she answered, "Oh, I think he really enjoyed it. I think he loved the attention."

She also talked about him growing old and revealed how afraid he was of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's because his late father had died because of the condition.

Catherine explained that with her dad being old, he felt out of place and feared that history would repeat itself. At the time, the four-time Emmy Award winner was married to his co-star, Shera Danese.

Catherine Says Shera Kept Her & Jackie Away from Their Dad

Peter wed Shera in 1977. When his health started to decline and he became incapacitated, she took over and isolated him from his daughters, said Catherine, adding:

"She couldn't stand us. We weren't even allowed to go into the house if she was there, like, when we were little."

Catherine recalled trying to talk to her father on the phone as she had dialed his private line, but Shera answered it and said to her, "He never wants to speak to you again."

After that encounter, she worried that she might never see her parent again and panicked. Peter, a Golden Globe Award winner, was placed under legal guardianship.

Catherine appeared on "Good Morning Lala Land" in August 2019 and divulged that she and Jackie were upset that they were not allowed to see him, especially after he had hip surgery.

Catherine decided to take her stepmother to court so that she could see their dad and say goodbye. She described the experience as "traumatizing," and explained it had nothing to do with the will but about seeing her ailing parent before he passed.

Catherine stated that her dad never said he did not want to see her and Jackie, nor did he ask them to keep their distance. If that had been the case, she would not have pursued legal action against his second wife. "I would've respected my dad's wishes," she said.

She later disclosed that she was eventually granted visitation rights to see her father. Catherine said she asked the court to award Shera conservatorship.

In addition, she was asked during the interview what she learned from Peter, and she revealed the film and movie star taught her always to persist no matter the obstacles and not give up.

Catherine Was Banned from Her Father's Funeral

Peter, who starred in “The Princess Bride,” alongside Billy Crystal, sadly died in June 2011. A month later, Catherine disclosed that Shera had banned her from attending the funeral.

She talked about the ordeal during an interview in July 2011, saying that it left her angry and sad and that she felt so much "pain" that she was left in a "state of shock."

Catherine learned about her parent's death only hours later. "How would you feel if you had to hear from the media or hear from an attorney that your dad passed away?" she asked.

Although she had had issues with Peter, they had mended fences and were in a good place before he died. According to Catherine, they "adored" each other.

She had attempted to take Shera to court to take control of his affairs, but the veteran actress won the case. Catherine's attorney had penned a letter to her stepmother asking for details about the funeral, but they denied her information.

Peter was buried at Westwood Memorial Park, where fellow stars like Jack Lemmon and Caroll O'Connor were also laid to rest. Catherine finally discovered his resting place and eventually found closure.