Casey Kasem's Three Children File For Conservatorship; Claim Stepmother Jean Kasem Has Kept Them From Dad For 3 Months
Casey Kasem, America’s Top 40's legendary radio host, is in the middle of a legal battle between three of his adult children and his wife (their stepmother), Jean Kasem – his children have filed for conservatorship of their ailing father.
The family drama has been brewing for months – Kasem’s children from his first marriage, Kerri, Julie and Mike, along with extended family and friends, claim that Jean has prevented them from seeing or communicating with their ailing father for three months. According to reports, Kerri, Julie and Mike have never had a relationship with their stepmother Jean. Casey Kasem suffers from advanced Parkinson’s and is reportedly unable to walk without assistance.
Kasem’s three children from his first marriage claim that they contacted adult protective services to launch an investigation and called the police, who told them that their father appeared fine, reports People.
The situation became so tense that, on Oct. 1, the children gathered a group of Casey’s loved ones and formed a small protest outside the Kasem mansion in Beverly Hills. The small group appeared peaceful, holding up signs that read, “Jean — Why won’t you let me see my dad,” “I miss my brother,” and “We want to see our friend.”
“We are used to seeing my dad every single week… after three months of no communication, no returned phone calls or emails, we finally said enough’s enough, we want to see our brother, our friend, my dad,” Kerri, Kasem’s eldest daughter, told TMZ at the protest.
Kerri also told TMZ that her siblings were not staging a publicity stunt in the hopes of gaining access to Kasem’s fortune. She says that she and her siblings have known that they are not included in their father’s will for years, and that they are simply desperate to see their father.
“This has nothing to do with money or inheritance, because we’re all self-sufficient. We’re not in his will and we’re completely fine with that,” Kerri said.
Jean called the police to the scene of the protest, alleging a burglary in progress, but the LAPD reportedly left the scene after determining the situation was a family dispute.
Some of Kasem’s family members and friends expressed fears for Kasem’s safety and well-being with his wife of 32 years.
“We fear that he’s been isolated and neglected,” said protester Gonzalo Venecia, who served as Kasem’s personal assistant for 24 years.
His brother, Mouner Kasem, told local reporters he wanted a chance to say goodbye to his brother before his condition worsens, saying, “I’ve got a feeling I might not see him again, and that’s why I’m here.”
Three days after the protest, it was reported that Kasem’s children threatened to file for a conservatorship with them as conservators should Jean not allow them to see their father. Kerri, Julie and Mike reportedly hired a lawyer to aid in negotiations, as they have no relationship with Jean, but it appears that the negotiations were fruitless, as Kerri, Julie and Mike filed for conservatorship on Monday.
The conservatorship, filed by Julie, seeks Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare and a Healthcare Conservatorship – they are not seeking to control Kasem’s estate, just his healthcare.
Jean has been completely silent on the matter. She is not speaking to her stepchildren and no news outlets have been able to get a hold of her.
Meanwhile, Jean is currently in a separate legal battle with The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The Kasem’s claim they have been over-billed for the past 24 years. Jean also sued New Life Custom Painting for over $80,000 in damages in May.
– Olivia Truffaut-Wong
Get Uinterview's FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.
Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.
RELATED ARTICLES
Get the most-revealing celebrity conversations with the uInterview podcast!
Leave a comment