In a recent interview with Closer Weekly, comedienne and 'Selma' star Niecy Nash opened up about her difficult past that involved dealing with the pain from the murder of her brother, the shooting of her mother, and her 2006 divorce , MadameNoire reports.

"In 1985, I found my mother after she was shot by her boyfriend. In 1993, I buried my brother, and in 2006 I got divorced after 16 years," Nash told Closer.

Thankfully, Nash's mother recovered from the shooting, however she fell into a deep depression following the death of Nash's brother, the Emmy award-winning actress revealed. 

Back in 2012, the Daily Mail reported that a man named Robert Heard was responsible for the death of Nash's brother and later stabbed his wife to death.

The Daily Mail claims that Heard was 15-years-old when he killed Nash's brother, Michael Ensley, who was his classmate at Reseda High School in California.  

Heard later went on to spend 9 years in jail for Ensley's murder and was released in 2002.

Though witnessing her mother's depression proved to be a difficult experience for Nash, she revealed that It allowed her to discover her love and talent for comedy.

"What I did know was I had the ability to make my mother laugh. She went from lying in the bed to sitting up in the bed. Then one day I came in to do my act and she wasn't in bed.Turns out she was in the living room and invited the neighbors to see me do stand-up. That is when I knew I had a gift to do comedy. I decided I was going to go out and spread this around as a means to help the other people who are suffering," she said.

After discovering her talent, Nash made the decision to choose happiness rather than allowing her tumultuous past to define her. 

Niecy Nash stars in the upcoming film, "Selma" out in theaters on Christmas day.