Jill Kurlfink, a contestant on season 3 of “Claim to Fame” and niece of John Stamos, learned new details about her family and Stamos’ life through his 2023 memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me,” including his struggles with alcoholism and the impact of his mother’s death. Despite being eliminated from the show, Jill expressed her admiration for her uncle, highlighting his support for her participation in the reality series and sharing how she discovered heartwarming stories about her grandparents in his book.
Jill Kurlfink, a contestant on season 3 of “Claim to Fame” and niece of John Stamos, discovered new aspects of her family history and learned more about Stamos’ personal struggles through his 2023 memoir, despite being eliminated after incorrectly guessing a fellow contestant’s celebrity relative.
Oh, boy. Where do we start? Jill Kurlfink. John Stamos. A duo you might not immediately connect, unless you’re deep into your celeb trivia or, well, you’ve been keeping tabs on Uncle Jesse’s life off-screen. Picture this: Jill, cozied up with a book that just so happens to spill the beans on her famous uncle, John Stamos. Yeah, that John Stamos.
So, there’s this show, Claim to Fame. Season 3’s got Jill in the mix, and she’s not just any contestant. She’s got ties to Hollywood royalty, thanks to her uncle, John. But here’s the kicker: even she’s learning new tidbits about her fam from his 2023 memoir, If You Would Have Told Me. Imagine that.
Jill’s chatting away to Us Weekly, fresh off her exit from the show. It’s July 17, a Wednesday night episode just wrapped up, and boom, the Stamos cat’s out of the bag. She’s diving into this book, uncovering layers of her uncle’s life she was too young to grasp at the time. "My parents, bless ’em, fed me a version sprinkled with little white lies," she muses, "to keep me shielded, I guess."
John’s battles? They’re in there. The man fought with alcoholism, hitting a low when a DUI arrest in 2015 slapped him with a reality check. Fast forward, and he’s reflecting on the rough patches, like his 2005 divorce from Rebecca Romijn and the gut-wrenching loss of his mom in 2014. "My anchor," he calls her. Without her, he felt adrift.
But wait, there’s a light at the end of this tunnel. John’s sober now, found love again with Caitlin McHugh, and they’re raising their little guy, Billy. Life’s looking up.
Back to Jill. She’s flipping through these pages, and it’s not just the tough times catching her eye. It’s the stories of her grandparents, the ones she never got to hear directly from them. "My grandpa passed when I was just a wee one," she shares, "and hearing about him, about them, was something special."
And then there’s this bit about her stint on Claim to Fame. Didn’t last long, but guess who was cheering her on? Uncle John, of course. He’d even caught the show before, found it hilarious. "You’re gonna kill it," he told her, all pumped and ready to dish out advice.
Jill’s a Full House fan, too. No surprise there. "To the world, he’s Uncle Jesse. To me? He’s just Uncle John." She’s beaming with pride, grateful for his support through thick and thin.
Claim to Fame? It’s still rolling, Wednesdays on ABC. Tune in at 9 p.m. ET, why don’t you? Who knows what other family secrets might unravel.
