WebProNews

Tag: casey kasem

  • Kerri Kasem, Siblings, Uncle File Wrongful Death Suit Against Casey Kasem’s Widow

    Kerri Kasem and her siblings, Julie and Michael Kasem, have filed a wrongful death suit against their father, Casey Kasem’s, widow Jean Kasem. Casey Kasem’s brother joins his children in the lawsuit.

    “Casey’s early death occurred as a direct and proximate result of Jean’s neglect and physical abuse of Casey,” the lawsuit states.

    In the lawsuit, Julie, Michael, and Kerri Kasem–and their uncle, Mouner Kasem, are seeking more than $250,000. Earlier this year, prosecutors declined to charge Jean Kasem with elder abuse. Kerri Kasem says that decision is what led them to file this lawsuit.

    “We would rather see her in jail than receive one dime,” Kerri Kasem said. “We don’t care about the money. We care about justice.”

    The longtime American Top 40 host had a form of dementia and a severe bedsore at the time of his death. He was 82.

    Jean Kasem seemed to work hard at preventing Kerri Kasem and her siblings from seeing their father in the last years of his life. She even transported his body to Norway, and had him buried in an unmarked grave, despite his wishes to be buried in an L.A. cemetery.

    “What she did to my father is reprehensible,” Kerri Kasem said. “It’s disgusting. It’s horrific.”

    Julie, Michael, and Kerri Kasem hope that their lawsuit filed against Jean Kasem not only hold’s their late father’s widow accountable, they also hope it raises awareness about elder abuse.

    “People are going through this across the country every single day,” Kerri Kasem said.

    Do you think Jean Kasem’s actions in Casey Kasem’s last years amounted to elder abuse? How sad that people can get away with these kinds of atrocities against those who can’t defend themselves.

  • Casey Kasem’s Family Releases Medical Records After Jean Kasem Files Lawsuit Requesting Them

    Jean Kasem has succeeded in convincing the children of radio legend Casey Kasem to share all hospital records in their possession after she sued a hospital in Washington state to learn more about the last weeks of his life.

    “The Kasem children are happy to provide Mrs. Kasem with all such records in their possession,” the statement said. “These records indisputably show that Mr. Kasem was extremely ill when admitted to St. Anthony’s hospital on June 1, 2014.”

    Kerri, Mike and Julie Kasem said in a statement issued through their lawyer Troy Martin on Wednesday that the records will show that their father was well-cared for and that all appropriate measures were taken to preserve Kasem’s life. Records also indicate that when it was clear there was no more to be done to keep him alive, he was allowed to die comfortably.

    “These records also demonstrate that Kerri Kasem, as the court-appointed conservator of the person, authorized an aggressive course of treatment to combat the life-threatening infections Mr. Kasem had developed while under Mrs. Kasem’s care.”

    Jean Kasem filed suit earlier this month against St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, where Casey Kasem died from dementia last June at the age of 82.

    The statement also indicated that the American Top 40 host should have been placed in hospice care. However, Jean Kasem moved her husband to a friend’s home in Washington state from California. In the custody battle that ensued, Kerri Kasem won control of her father’s care and had him taken to the hospital.

    “When Casey entered the hospital, there was no expectation he had only a couple of weeks of life left to live,” said Jean Kasem’s attorney Lance Hester.

    A court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for April.

    Casey Kasem was laid to rest at Vestre Gravlund, a cemetery in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 16, per his widow’s wishes.

  • Casey Kasem Still Unburied; Elder Abuse Investigation Goes to D.A.

    It’s been over five months since Casey Kasem died. And the man is still not buried.

    The beloved radio icon was the subject of tabloid press in his final days, as his wife and children fought each other for control of the man. Kasem’s wife Jean had whisked him away from a care facility and his whereabouts were unknown to his children from an earlier marriage. Kasem and Jean were found by law enforcement in Washington state, visiting friends.

    After Kasem died, the battle did not stop. According to TMZ, the LAPD has launched an investigation into charges of elder abuse against Jean Kasem, charges brought by Casey’s children.

    And now TMZ reports that the LAPD has handed that to the L.A. County District Attorney.

    Casey’s kids say that Jean’s neglect of Casey caused him to get bedsores that got infected and contributed to his death. They allege that Jean was more interested in keeping Casey from them than in actually taking care of him.

    TMZ has previously reported that Jean Kasem is fighting efforts by the kids to have an autopsy performed on Casey, and had repeatedly moved his body from place to place to prevent the autopsy. Currently, Kasem’s body is said to be in Oslo, Norway. It is not only unburied, but has not been embalmed as this matter grinds on.

    Back in June, shortly after Kasem’s death, daughter Kerri Kasem said that she was “pausing” her pursuit of elder abuse charges against Jean Kasem.

    But the LAPD did confirm then that an investigator was working with Kerri on the matter.

    “A detective has been in contact and is working with Kerri Kasem ever since Mr. Casey Kasem was removed from the Berkley East Convalescent Hospital on May 7, 2014,” an LAPD spokesman said. “Recently, the investigator was contacted by Mr. [Logan] Clarke, who is working for Kerri, and he received additional information from him regarding the case.”

  • Casey Kasem To Be Buried in Norway. Why?

    Casey Kasem‘s final resting place will apparently be in Oslo, Norway. One may wonder why in the world the American Top 40 host will be buried in a locale far from his country of birth and where his family currently lives.

    It seems Kasem’s widow has decided to take his remains with her when she moves to Norway in the near future. According to a spokeswoman for the funeral agency in Oslo, Kasem’s wife, Jean Kasem, cites her Norwegian heritage as one of the reasons for wanting to bury her late husband in Norway.

    Kasem died June 15 in Washington at the age of 82. His death came after a lengthy and nasty battle among his wife and his three children from a previous marriage over the care of the beloved radio host, who was suffering from the end stages of Parkinson’s Disease.

    The spokeswoman for the funeral service agency in Oslo said Jean Kasem also told the agency she plans to move to Norway later this year and prefers to have her late husband buried nearby so she will be able to visit his grave.

    According to Danny Deraney, a Los Angeles spokesman for the Kasem family , who are fighting against Jean Kasem’s plans to bury Kasem in Norway, the body is currently in Oslo but has yet to be buried.

    Deraney said Tuesday that the family members have signed a letter saying Jean Kasem “doesn’t have an ounce of Norwegian blood” and confirmed what other friends have said — that Kasem wanted to be buried in Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles.

  • Casey Kasem’s Wife Wants Him Buried In Norway

    Officials in Norway are deciding on whether to grant the request of Casey Kasem’s wife to bury his body in Oslo in the face of protests from his children. Kasem’s children from his first wife are contesting Jean Kasem’s claim that he wanted to be buried in Norway, saying that the prominent radio DJ and television host had always wanted to be buried in California, where he lived for 53 years of his life.

    A Norwegian government official told NBC News that they had recently received a letter from Kasem’s children and friends asking them not to grant the request. Oslo’s Managing Director of Funeral Service Wenche Elizabeth Madsen Eriksson said that the letter has prompted them to consult attorneys about the matter. She said that the letter claims that Kasem had wanted to be buried in Forest Lawn in Glendale and that Jean did not allow Kasem’s children to visit him for a year before his death. They reportedly claimed that Jean had no Norwegian ancestry and that she wasn’t planning to move to the country.

    Eriksson confirmed that Kasem’s remains had arrived in Oslo. “Even if the reason [Jean Kasem] gave us wasn’t right, we don’t necessarily have to reject it. Casey Kasem can still be buried in Norway. But we must consider the whole situation.”

    The burial controversy follows reports that Kasem was moved by his wife from Berkley East Convalescent Hospital several times to Las Vegas and Seattle against doctor’s orders. In June, Kasem’s daughter Kerri was appointed with conservatorship of her father by a court and she was able to move him to Washington’s St. Anthony Hospital, where he died on June 15. However, Jean reportedly claimed his remains and sent them to a funeral home for autopsy, where they stayed for a month before she moved them to Montreal, Canada before Kasem’s children could request for their own autopsy.

    “[Jean is] hiding the body away from the authorities, family and friends,” said a representative of Kerri’s.

  • Casey Kasem’s Body Moved Before Court Order Served

    Casey Kasem was a legendary American figure who brought us the joys of music and television with his vocal talents, and when he passed away earlier this year, fans and friends mourned the loss of the star and were appalled at the drama that played out within his own family. When news broke this month that his body had been moved without his family’s knowledge, many were mystified at what had happened. Now, it’s been revealed that Kasem’s remains were moved from a Washington state funeral home to a location in Canada at his wife’s request. His daughters, who have been locked in a battle with Jean Kasem for years now over their father, had a court order served just one day after the body was removed.

    Jean Kasem has said that she has been “blackmailed” by Kasem’s daughters and refused to negotiate with them when it came to Kasem’s care and funeral arrangements.

    “This is a shakedown and I will not negotiate with terrorists. I will not give in to their blackmail and attacks,” she said.

    Before his death, Kasem’s daughters, Julie and Kerri, said that they had been battling with Jean for months over their father’s condition as he was battling dementia and suffered from bedsores and other ailments. At one point, he was given artificial nutrition even though he had stated previously that he didn’t want to be kept on life support if there was no quality of life. The women issued a statement hoping to work things out with Jean, but to no avail.

    “My Dad taught us that family comes first. We want to honor him and make sure all of his family, including Jean and Liberty are surrounding him with love at this critical time…If he opens his eyes, I want my Dad just once to see everyone standing around him, putting our differences aside and let him know how much he is loved by everyone,” the statement read.

    Funeral home director Corey Gaffney said he handled the transfer of Kasem’s remains to the airport.

    “I took Casey to the airport myself, oversaw every detail myself from the moment we brought him into care,” Gaffney said.

    While Jean Kasem has the legal right to move Kasem’s remains, his children say they just want to know where he will be buried.

    “The bottom line is that they want to know where he’ll be buried. I think they have that right,” said Danny Deraney, a representative for the family.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Casey Kasem Still Unburied a Month Later

    The feud between Jean Kasem and Casey Kasem’s children has gone on for years. The whole thing came to an ugly head a couple of months ago when Casey’s kids declared publicly that Casey was missing. He had been in a care facility and needed medical attention. Their concern was that she had taken Casey out of the country to keep his kids from seeing him in what could have been his final days alive.

    The children then went to court get legal help finding out where the ailing actor had been taken by Jean.

    After police located Casey and Jean traveling in Washington state, the court battle raged on over whether Jean could spirit him away from his kids when he was in failing health.

    A judge allowed Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, to have him admitted to a hospital. The family feud got really bizarre when Jean Kasem threw raw hamburger meat at Kerri.

    It looked like everything had finally come to a close when Kasem died in the hospital on June 15. He was surrounded by his children. Everyone figured the battling was finished. Maybe there would be an inheritance dispute, but it was all over but the paperwork and lawyers.

    Guess again.

    Casey Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, who has been in the vanguard of the fight with Jean, has now announced that her father’s body has not yet been buried. She claims that it is at a funeral home in Tacoma, Washington. She says that Kasem’s kids want to bring his remains to California to be buried in accordance with his wishes.

    St. Anthony’s Hospital in Washington says that Jean Kasem did claim Casey’s remains, but they have no idea what happened with them after that.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kerri Kasem On Dad Casey Kasem’s Final Days

    Kerri Kasem talked earlier this week about her father Casey Kasem’s final moments. She shared some of these most private details with Access Hollywood’s Kit Hoover and Billy Bush on Monday. She had spoken earlier with the ladies on The View about her father’s passing and the ordeal that preceded his last days as well.

    Kerri told Gina and Billy about seeing her dad back in May for the first time in several months.

    “When I saw him on May 6, after not seeing him for five months because [his widow Jean] had moved him, I think, seven different times. So I did get a visit with him and that’s when she pulled him out of the home she put him in at 2:30 in the morning. When I did see him that day he was absolutely cognizant, completely aware of who my sister and I were… he talked a little bit, so he was there, completely there, he didn’t have any infection in him, he didn’t have a bed sore and then she ripped him out of there. Two weeks later I saw him and it was not good. He was going downhill fast,” she said.

    Fast forward next to just a little more than a month later–on June 15th, the day Casey Kasem passed away.

    “He was in a lot of pain and he was very sick… He did say, ‘I love you,’ and that was the last time I heard him talk,” Kerri Kasem explained. “I was there when he took his last breath… I was just so grateful that I could be there with him. I was just so happy that he didn’t die alone in a nursing home and not thinking that anybody loved him.”

    Less than a month later Kerri is planning to help others seek visitation rights of sick family members through the Kasem Cares Foundation–in memory of the American Top 40 icon.

    “The Kasem Cares foundation I started because after I went public with this I got hundreds of letters from people around the country… I kept thinking why can’t a judge just rule on visitation? Why do you have to go with a conservatorship and durable power of health? And they said there’s no law that allows a judge to rule on visitation, so I went to Sacramento. I said let’s get a law started [that would] allow a judge to rule on visitation… go to the ailing parent and say, ‘Would you like to see your kids?’ If that person says yes, boom, if the person says no, then that’s it.”

    Kudos to Kerri Kasem for working on behalf of others who might lose out on valuable time with sick loved ones. Casey Kasem no doubt knew of her actions in the last weeks of his life and was surely very proud of her. She will never regret her decision to fight for her and her sibling’s rights to see their ailing father.

    Image via YouTube

  • Casey Kasem Remembered On Twitter

    Casey Kasem is considered the voice of America by most people.

    Not only was he the voice of Shaggy on the Scooby Doo show, he was also a DJ and hosted some of the most popular music radio programs, including American Top 40, American Top 20, and American Top 10 from 1970 until his retirement in 2009.

    Kasem passed away on Sunday, June 15 from complications of his dementia. He was 82 years old.

    He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.

    His death was mourned around the world, but many of his celebrity friends who knew him well also mourned the loss of their friend on Twitter.

    Kasem was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in October 2013. The diagnosis was later changed to Lewy body dementia. His family tried to keep the illness a secret, but on June 6, 2014, Kasem was reported to be in critical but stable condition at a hospital in Washington state.

    His condition continued to deteriorate and he passed away at the hospital on June 15.

    His body was turned over to his wife, who is currently making funeral arrangements.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Casey Kasem Dies at 82 on Father’s Day

    Casey Kasem, best known for his radio show American Top 40, passed away early on Father’s Day at the age of 82. His death was confirmed earlier on Sunday by his agent Don Pitts.

    Kasem’s children Kerri, Mike, and Julie Kasem issued a joint statement about their dad’s death that was released by Casey Kasem’s rep Danny Deraney.

    “Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends,” the statement reads. “Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken … The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad.”

    Casey Kasem had been hospitalized in Washington state for the past two weeks following court proceedings that not only put his daughter in charge of his medical decisions but also gave her permission to tell the hospital to withhold food and water during his last days. Kasem’s current wife Jean Kasem challenged both of these decisions but was overruled. She stayed away from her husband during his last two weeks even though the Kasem children urged her to come and spend these last days with her husband.

    Casey Kasem was one of the creators of American Top 40 back in the 1970s. The first show aired on July 4, 1970. The show counts down the top radio hits of the week and is now hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest posted the following about his dear friend and mentor.

    Kasem also did many radio and TV commercials–lending his distinguished voice to countless products and events. He didn’t appear on screen, however. He also provided the voice of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo franchise for many years.

    The American music world has lost a legend. Casey Kasem was many young music enthusiasts’ first voice on the radio, introducing them to a wealth of music and sharing tidbits about the bands and their songs. Fans are missing him already.

    An autopsy won’t be performed on Kasem since a doctor was present when he passed away. Daughter Julie Kasem plans to host a memorial celebration at her Northridge, Caifornia, home on Saturday June 21 for her father. No other funeral arrangements have yet been announced.

    Casey Kasem’s last months weren’t particularly peaceful ones, even though his children certainly had his best interests at heart. May he rest in eternal peace now that his battles on earth are over.

    Image via Twitter

  • Casey Kasem Doesn’t Have Long To Live, Says Daughter

    Casey Kasem has been, for many of us, a familiar voice tied to our childhoods and teen years. As the man behind several beloved cartoon characters–including Shaggy from “Scooby-Doo”–and as a radio personality, Kasem has been a part of our lives for decades now. For that reason, news of his declining health has come as a shock to many, and the family drama playing out behind the scenes has saddened his many fans and friends.

    Kasem’s daughters, Julie and Kerri, say that their father doesn’t have long after battling dementia and several physical ailments, including bedsores, over the past several months. Their stepmother, actress Jean Kasem, has been locked in a battle with them while trying to keep Kasem on life support, but they say that he didn’t want to be given artificial nutrition and medicine if there was no quality of life.

    Keeping Kasem on the life support system will “at best prolong the dying process for him and will certainly add suffering to an already terribly uncomfortable dying process,” said Troy Martin, Kerri Kasem’s lawyer.

    Kerri Kasem was given conservatorship over her father recently and had him removed from his home to be examined by a doctor, which caused an uproar and ended in Jean Kasem reportedly throwing raw meat at her. Kerri and sister Julie issued a statement recently, however, saying she wanted to put all differences aside in the hopes that her father will get to see all his loved ones at his bedside before he passes.

    “My Dad taught us that family comes first. We want to honor him and make sure all of his family, including Jean and Liberty are surrounding him with love at this critical time…If he opens his eyes, I want my Dad just once to see everyone standing around him, putting our differences aside and let him know how much he is loved by everyone,” the statement read.

    Kasem’s daughters have had a longstanding feud with Jean, who has reportedly kept them from their father most of the time he’s been ill. In 2013, Julie and Kerri led a protest outside their father’s home demanding to be allowed to see him.

    “I don’t get it, I don’t understand it,” Kerri told reporters. “He has Parkinson’s, and all the research we’ve done indicates socialization would help him.”

    Kerri has the power to withhold Kasem’s artificial support, but it’s not clear yet whether she will.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Casey Kasem: Daughter Decides to Withhold Food, Hydration, Medicine

    Casey Kasem, the 82-year-old ailing DJ whose initial claim to fame was a radio show called American Top 40, will no longer receive food, hydration, and medicine per a decision made by his daughter Kerri Kasem on Wednesday. According to a judge’s ruling earlier in the day she was granted permission to put these measures in place in an effort to switch their father’s care to a comfort oriented regimen.

    “Transitioning our father’s treatment to comfort-oriented care was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make,” Kasem’s children–Kerri and her brother and sister–said in a statement. The statement also included excerpts from their father’s heath directive which stated that he desired no form of “life-sustaining procedures, including nutrition and hydration.”

    Casey Kasem suffers from Lewy body disease which is a form of dementia displaying symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease. In addition he has a large infected bedsore that Kerri Kasem maintains he acquired when wife Jean Kasem removed him from the country.

    The Kasem children and Jean Kasem have been in an ongoing battle over the care of Casey Kasem for quite some time. Jean Kasem long held power of attorney over her husband’s care. Kerri Kasem and her siblings sought a court order after being disallowed visitation with their father. Following the incident whereby Jean Kasem removing her husband from the country, Kerri Kasem was given authority by a judge to handle his medical affairs.

    Casey Kasem is in a Washington hospital under hospice care.

    Withholding food and water may sound cruel for people in Casey Kasem’s condition, but it isn’t. Instead it can actually prevent a patient like Kasem from developing pneumonia.

    Jean Kasem and her attorney are reportedly exploring their legal options regarding this decision made by Kerri Kasem and her siblings. They both believe that Casey Kasem is being “starved and cut off from medicine until he dies.”

    Casey Kasem clearly doesn’t have many days left on earth. It sounds like his children want him kept comfortable until he dies. If he developed pneumonia at this stage his end days would be very uncomfortable. It seems more cruel to consider a fate like that.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Casey Kasem Hospitalized After Wife Throws Raw Meat

    The family feud over the care of radio icon Casey Kasem just keeps getting uglier.

    Kasem’s wife, Jean, chucked a raw piece of meat at his daughter Sunday when Kerri Kasem attempted to take the radio icon to a hospital.

    The feud is between Kasem’s children and his wife of 30 years, Jean. The family members are battling it out in court over who has the legal authority to care for the 82-year-old who is suffering from Lewy body disease, the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s.

    Kasem’s daughter — who won a California court order this month to become the temporary conservator for her ailing father before he went missing — won court approval from a Kitsap County, Washington, judge Friday to visit her father and take him to the doctor. Kerri visited her father Friday later in the day for the first time since he was taken to Washington state two weeks ago from a California nursing care center, according to CNN.

    As part of Friday’s court decision, the judge said Kerri could have Casey hospitalized if necessary, which is why she showed up Sunday with an ambulance at the home where he and Jean are staying.

    But, it was pretty much over-Jean’s-dead-body.

    Jean told NBC she was following a bible verse from King James when she threw the meat.

    “In the name of King David, I threw a piece of raw meat into the street in exchange for my husband to the wild rabid dogs,” she said.

    Ambulance workers finally made their way inside and took Casey to a nearby hospital.

    The Kitsap County judge granted Kerri permission Friday to visit her father one hour a day at a local home where Kasem and his wife are staying with close friends.

    “I’m not going to say anything much except that I’m happy with how the court proceedings went today,” Kerri Kasem said.

    Jean Kasem, however, was angry with the outcome of the court proceedings.

    “Shame on these children,” she told reporters.

    She then played an audio recording of what sounded like a groaning man. She told reporters the moaning came from her husband when he heard about Friday’s court activity.

    “He’s crying,” Jean Kasem said.

    “That was just so sad and wrong,” Casey’s daughter Mary Kasem said. “We don’t know if that’s him or not. But if it is, he’s probably groaning because he has stage three bed sores, a lung infection, and a bladder infection. For her to put out something like that and claim that is just awful.”

    The Washington state judge will hold another hearing June 6 on whether the California court order naming Kerri as her father’s temporary conservator is applicable in Washington state.

    Casey Kasem was the radio host of music countdown shows American Top 40 and Casey’s Top 40. Kasem was also the voice of Shaggy in the cartoon Scooby Doo and an announcer for NBC. He retired in 2009.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kerri Kasem Granted Expanded Authority Over Father’s Health Care

    Casey Kasem’s children say that they have not yet seen their ailing father. At a hearing in Los Angeles, Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy has granted Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, expanded authority over her father’s health care. The judge also ordered Jean Kasem, Casey’s wife, to cooperate with court orders and allow doctors to perform a medical evaluation of her husband.

    Furthermore, the court is ordering Jean to surrender Casey’s passport to prevent her from leaving the country with Casey. Judge Murphy suggested that Kerri hire a private investigator, if needed, just to get to her father’s whereabouts. Kerri Kasem, along with her siblings, have been legally battling their step-mother over visitation and authority over their father’s medical care.

    Casey Kasem, 82, has been suffering from Lewy Body Disease, which is a form of dementia. He went missing from a care facility in Santa Monica, California, where he was housed. Reports say that he disappeared from the facility a day after Kerri visited him.

    According to Martha Patterson, the lawyer working with Kerri, their goal is to get Casey to a hospital. “He’s vulnerable, and we don’t believe he’s benefitting from a vacation in a foreign environment.”

    After his disappearance, Casey was found in Washington State. Kerri said that her father was moved from the facility in the middle of the night. “This is a man who has a feeding tube, hooked up to an IV and has dementia. This is not a man who needs to be in unfamiliar surroundings.”

    On Monday, Kerri was appointed temporary conservatorship of her father. Her brother and sister have both agreed on a visitation schedule, but they say that Jean has breached their agreed terms.

    With the judge’s new conditions for Jean, Kerri is now focused on bringing her father back home. She and her siblings will be directing their efforts on giving their father the proper care that he deserves.

    Image via YouTube

  • Casey Kasem Found — What the Heck Happened?

    After days of court appearances and hand-wringing in the press, radio legend Casey Kasem has been found alive and well in Washington state.

    Kasem was with his wife, Jean Kasem. Police who located him say that he was doing fine and was receiving proper medical care for his advanced Parkinson’s condition. According to police, the Kasem’s were visiting on vacation.

    The whole thing started when Kasem’s adult children went to court to get an order from a judge to locate their father. They said he had been checked out of a medical care facility, they did not know where he was, and that his life and health were in jeopardy due to his Parkinson’s condition.

    A judge granted daughter Kerri Kasem a temporary conservatorship for her father while they tried to find him.

    The entire case seems like a false alarm, at this point. But the Kasem kids say that their stepmother is trying to keep them from their father. She says they are money-grubbing and just want his sizable estate, coming around and feigning interest in his waning years. The kids say they want none of his money.

    The feud between Jean Kasem, who has been with casey since 1980, and his kids from a previous marriage, is a longstanding fight.

    So far, there is no explanation regarding the Kasem kids’ insistence that their father should never have been removed from his care facility. They say that he is too frail for travel, and that he would have had to be transported in a plane that was specially equipped for such a condition.

    Initially, there was a concern that Kasem had been taken out of the country entirely, which really concerned his kids.

    Kasem himself is unable to speak nowadays. But in his heyday, he was the voice of American Top 40 radio, listened to each week by millions of people.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jean Kasem Hiding Casey Kasem from Family?

    Casey Kasem is a legend in radio. The man was the voice of American Top 40 in the United States throughout the childhood of many people. Others also know him as the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo. But now Casey Kasem has gone missing, and wife Jean Kasem is nowhere to be found either.

    Casey Kasem is now 82, suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease, can not speak and has to be fed through a tube. He was in an assisted living facility until recently, but Jean Kasem requested he be released. Now his own children don’t know where he is.

    Casey’s daughter, Kerri Kasem, best known for her part in the syndicated radio program Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx, went to see Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel Murphy about finding her father. Jean Kasem is her step-mother, and the two have been estranged for years. The judge ordered Kerri a temporary conservator for her dad. During the hearing, Jean Kasem’s attorney revealed that Casey had been removed from the country, but that he did not know where they were.

    “I’m just praying to God she hasn’t hurt him. He’s very ill and fragile right now. He would need an airplane with special medical services,” Kerri Kasem said.

    The judge also ordered a court investigator and adult protective services to find out where Kasem is.

    “We’re going to find him, take care of him and love him,” Kerri Kasem said. “He’s going to be with family, not stuck in some unfamiliar place where he’s dying alone.”

    In an official release from Sixx Sense, it was revealed that Kerri Kasem “is actively lobbying a Visitation Bill that would provide reasonable accommodations for adult children who want to visit their parents, and provide children the right to know when an ailing parent’s health becomes worse or if the parent dies.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Casey Kasem Missing: Did Wife Have Him Moved Out of the Country?

    Casey Kasem is reportedly missing and an investigation into his whereabouts has been launched. Several reports say his wife has had the ailing American Top 40 host moved out of the country, much to the dismay of his children. Kasem, who is 82, suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease. He has lost his ability to speak and has spent time in a number of medical facilities his wife, Jean Kasem, has chosen.

    Judge Daniel S. Murphy of the Los Angeles Superior Court has ordered a court investigator as well as adult protective services to find out where Casey Kasem is being treated and to report those findings back to the court immediately. Kasem’s children recently complained about not being able to spend time with their ill father. An agreement between them and Jean Kasem supposedly allow the children to visit with their father on a regular basis. Jean Kasem previously kept all of Casey Kasem’s family members away from him. A court-appointed physician informed the court prior to the agreement that Kasem had expressed a desire to visit with his children. Jean Kasem agreed to visitation, but only if daughter Julie would drop her bid for a legal conservatorship, which she did.

    Judge Murphy’s order came following a statement Jean Kasem’s attorney Craig Marcus made on her behalf during a hearing on Monday. Marcus indicated that while he didn’t know exactly where Casey Kasem was, he indicated that he was no longer in the United States.

    “I have no idea where he is,” Marcus said.

    Twitter is abuzz with speculation over Kasem’s disappearance, with one person tweeting the catch phrase the popular radio host used during his American Top 40 weekly show.

    This statement caused the judge to spring into action and resulted in stunned protests from Casey Kasem’s two daughters.

    “Your statements concern me even more,” the judge told Marcus, who declined to comment any further on the matter following the hearing.

    Where do you suppose Jean Kasem has moved her husband to and why? Is she trying to get him some kind of treatment for Parkinson’s disease that isn’t available in this country or is she simply trying to prevent him from spending any time with his children?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Casey Kasem Fans Hold Birthday Vigil For Ailing Star

    Casey Kasem is everywhere. You may not know it yet, but you have heard his voice. Whether it was on the radio or as the voice of the original Shaggy; his voice has had an enormous impact on the nation. That’s why fans are celebrating the star’s 82nd birthday in any way they can.

    For those who follow all things Kasem, you will know that the star is not in the best of health as of late. His illness has no doubt made this latest birthday an unpleasant and fans wanting to wish him well can only do so from afar. They took to Twitter and Facebook to wish him well today, but those wanting to get a little closer can do so Sunday night at the hospital he’s staying at.

    Fans have thrown together what they’re calling a birthday vigil at the convalescent home where Kasem is currently held up at. The group plans to meet at the Berkley East Convalescent Hospital at 6 p.m. Sunday night. The vigil will last for an hour as fans show their support for the legendary star.

    Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, has even shown her support for the vigil and asked fans in the area to attend:

    Post by Kerri Kasem.

    Those who are unable to attend the vigil have left many positive messages on social media in celebration of Kasem’s life and career:

    Despite all the love pouring out from the fans, Kasem’s family is still in tatters. Last year, Kasem’s current wife was preventing his children and ex-wife from seeing him despite his condition getting worse. Accusations of mistreatment were thrown out by a judge and a settlement was reached that allowed his children to visit in some capacity. While his family is no doubt with him tonight, they would undoubtedly be touched if a lot of fans were to show up at the birthday vigil.

    Image via Michael Dean/YouTube

  • Kerri Kasem: Not Loving Visitation Agreement at All

    Kerri, Mike and Julie Kasem told the media in September that their father’s current wife was not allowing them to visit him.

    It got so bad that Casey Kasem’s ex-wife, children, friends and colleagues staged a protest in front of his home with signs declaring how much they miss and love Kasem.

    As Kasem’s Parkinson’s Disease worsened, the kids got more frantic to see him. They quickly decimated any public suspicions of seeking financial opportunities from their wealthy father; they were all trust fund recipients and now hold well-paying jobs. They are aware that they have already been cut out of the will since the new marriage and have accepted that.

    The Kasem offspring decided to take it a step further by bringing their concerns to the courts to request a conservatorship. According to the Associated Press, a settlement between the two parties has been reached to avoid that. The two younger siblings, Mike and Julie, are happy and relieved– but the eldest, Kerri Kasem is not.

    As the settlement was announced Friday, Kerri Kasem remains dissatisfied. The settlement terms are not publicized, but Kerri wishes to find an agreement that allows her to visit her father without some of those restrictions placed.

    What do you think: Is this a case of the younger, wicked step-mother trying to protect her name in the will, or a case of a wife knowing what’s best for her ailing husband? It is hoped that the affairs swirling around Casey Kasem are not causing extra distress for him as he deals with a debilitating illness.

    Image via Youtube

  • Casey Kasem: Judge Rejects Conservatorship

    Casey Kasem has been in the news a lot lately, not only for his battle with Parikinson’s disease, but also for the battle between his wife and kids.

    It was previously reported that Kasem’s wife, Jean Kasem, was keeping his children away from him. Kasem’s three eldest children, from a previous marriage, Mike, Julie, and Kerri, staged a protest outside of their father’s Los Angeles home in October, hoping they would get through to Jean and she would allow them to visit.

    “My dad is very sick, and we have been completely shut off from him for the last three months,” Kerri said last month. “There is no money issue here, we just want to see our dad. We love him, and everyone knows his kids and grandkids are a source of joy for him.”

    Soon after the protest, Julie started seeking a temporary conservatorship for her father. However, as of Tuesday, the judged ruled against it. “He’s receiving either good to excellent care,” Superior Court Judge, Lesley C. Green, stated. “I find no good cause for a temporary conservatorship.”

    While Kasem’s children are happy to hear that their father is being well taken care of, they are still trying to pursue some kind of arraignment where they can visit their father…hopefully in time for the holidays.

    “We’re not looking to provide a piecemeal solution, we’re looking to bring peace to this matter,” said Jean’s attorney Marshall Grossman. Kasem has voiced that he would like to see his children, therefore the attorneys are working to find the best possible solution for all parties.

    “As my clients haven’t had the opportunity to see their father for some months now, they were happy to learn through investigation of the court appointed expert and the probate investigator that their father was being physically well taken care of,” said Julie’s lawyer, Andrew Katzenstein. He continued, “Also they were happy that the judge focused her attention on the important issue of visitation. Mr. Kasem has a long strong and loving relationship with his adult children and we are continuing to try and reach resolution with the other side so visits can begin again.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Casey Kasem’s Children May See Him Soon

    Casey Kasem’s Children May See Him Soon

    Casey Kasem’s children may be drawing near the end of their battle with Casey’s wife, and may finallly be able to see him soon, according to People. Kerri, 41, Julie, 38, and Mike, 40 have been at odds with his wife, Jean, since this summer when they staged peaceful protests outside the home she shares with Casey, and claimed that she would not allow them to see their father.

    “There is no communication between Jean and us and his daughters,” brother Mouner Kasem said Saturday. “We have no knowledge of how he is, what he’s doing, if he’s better, if he’s worse, and we’re scared that we’ll never see him again.”

    This led to suspicions that he was not being properly cared for in the advanced stages of his Parkinson’s disease. In addition to suffering from Parkinson’s disease, he “may have early onset Parkinson’s dementia.”, according to CNN. Kasem has the “ability to shuffle short distances, but is mainly bedridden and requires the assistance of a wheelchair to move any distance,” a court document said.

    However, Don Pitts, Casey’s agent of over 35 years and close friend said Casey is still of sound mind. “He has Parkinson’s, has it very bad. It took his speech, and for somebody who made millions of dollars using his voice — for him to lose that gift, that beautiful instrument — it must be frustrating. But he’s handling it very well,” Pitts said. “His mind is very sharp, his brain works well. You can tell in his eyes he understands everything you’re saying. He just has trouble translating it from the brain to his vocal cords.”

    Julie filed for temporary control of his health care after suspicions were raised, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lesley C. Green denied her petition. “He’s receiving either good to excellent care,” Judge Green stated. “I find no good cause for a temporary conservatorship.”

    Andrew Katzenstein, the attorney for Julie said that “they were happy that the judge focused her attention on the important issue of visitation,” he said. “Mr. Kasem has a long strong and loving relationship with his adult children and we are continuing to try and reach resolution with the other side so visits can begin again.”

    He also said, “We’re happy to know Casey Kasem is well cared for, and we’re thrilled the judge addressed the issue of visitation. Mr. Kasem very much wants to see his children. We’re now going to see if we can make that happen.”

    A court appointed physician that was looking into Kasem’s health care status, said that Casey had expressed a desire to him for seeing his children. “I’m going to push you to work on this,” said Judge Green.

    The two parties have been trying to reach an agreement, but the attorney for Jean said they have put two visitation proposals on the table, and both have been rejected by the kids. The attorney, Marshall Grossman, said the proposal included individual visits with Kasem every third Sunday for one hour, including major holidays and Kasem’s birthday. But there was a catch. He said that there must be a security guard present “to ensure there is decorum.”

    Hmmm. One hour a month with a guard hovering around. I wonder why that one was rejected?

    Grossman assured the judge that, “We’re not looking to provide a piecemeal solution, we’re looking to bring peace to this matter.” Negotiations will continue next week, and despite the two rejections, Grossman is optimistic that an agreement can be reached by the two parties.

    Image via wikimedia commons