Screengrab via ABC News Greg Omdahl says that his sister had a problem with cocaine for years prior to her killing her husband.
Greg Omdahl is Phil Hartman’s brother-in-law and Brynn Hartman’s brother. Omdahl is featured heavily in the ABC documentary on Phil Hartman’s death at the hands of his wife in May 1998 that aired on September 19, 2019.
Omdahl, grew up with his sister, who was born Vicki Jo Omdahl, in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, along with their other sisters, Katherine and Debbie and their parents Donald and Constance Omdahl. In the ABC documentary, Omdahl said of his sister, “She was always the instigator of fun.” Omdahl also described their upbringing as “idyllic.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Omdahl Says His Sister ‘Did Too Much Cocaine’
Omdahl, who now lives in Fargo, North Dakota, says in the ABC documentary that his sister “had a problem with cocaine. She did too much cocaine.”
At the time Brynn Hartman shot-and-killed Hartman, she was drunk and had taken cocaine. Comedian Jon Lovitz has accused fellow comedian Andy Dick of reintroducing Brynn to cocaine. Dick has said that he was unaware of Brynn’s addiction problems.
2. Omdahl Says His Sister Was a ‘Great Mother’
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Omdahl says of his sister in the documentary, “When I watched the old home videos of Brynn and Phil and their kids, it really brought home what loving parents they were…and what a great mother she was.” A friend of his sister’s, Joel Diamond, backs up that claim saying, “Brynn was the greatest mom; she was wonderful.”
3. Omdahl Sued the Hartman Family’s Child Psychiatrist Arthur Sorosky After He Allegedly Gave Brynn Hartman Zoloft
In the wake of Hartman and his sister’s death, Omdahl launched a lawsuit against the Hartman family’s child psychiatrist, Arthur Zorosky. Omdahl alleged the psychiatrist had given Brynn Hartman Zoloft, a powerful anti-depressant. Omdahl said in the ABC News documentary that his sister had often complained of suffering from anxiety.
Omdahl also sued Zoloft’s manufacturer, Pfizer. That suit was settled in 1999. Hartman’s children received a cash settlement as a result. Omdahl said that both Pfizer and Zorosky had not made the public clear about the potentially suicidal side-effects of Zoloft. Omdahl was represented in the case by attorney Karen Barth.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Omdahl was named as the Hartman family’s executor in 1998. The Times article says that Omdahl was also the family’s trustee. Phil Hartman’s ashes were spread in Catalina Island while Brynn Hartman’s final wishes were not made public.
4. Omdahl Is an Insurance Agent Who Enjoys Fishing & His Family
1975 MINNESOTA Vicki Omdahl (small photo in center) in the 1975 Lincoln Senior High School yearbook, Thief River Falls, Minn.
According to a profile at Bell Bank’s website, Omdahl is a licensed insurance agent. On his profile, Omdahl says that enjoys fishing and spending time with his two daughters. On his LinkedIn page, Omdahl says that he is also the vice president of his own insurance company, Warner and Company. Omdahl is a graduate of Lincoln High School and North Dakota State University. On his Facebook page, Omdahl says that he is divorced.
5. Omdahl Spoke to His Sister on the Night of the Murder-Suicide
GettyPhil Hartman (right) and Arnold Schwarzenegger star in “Jingle All the Way.”
In 1998, Omdahl told the San Francisco Chronicle that he had spoken to his sister on the night she killed her husband and took her own life. Omdahl said, “I talked to her last night — I thought everything was fine. She was concerned how I was doing.” In the same article, Omdahl said that his sister’s family had been due at a family reunion in June 1998, a month after the murder-suicide. Those statements were echoed by Fred Slater, the manager of the restaurant where Brynn Hartman had been seen earlier on the night of May 28, in a separate report.
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