Casey Kasem, 82, has been at the center of a heated family feud between his younger wife, Jean Kasem, and his kids—and things are only getting worse. The iconic radio DJ suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease and is believed to be in critical condition. Despite his deteriorating health, his kids are claiming that his wife has kept them from seeing their dying father.
Jean Kasem and her stepkids have been going at it in court over the care of Casey Kasem, who’s restricted to a bed and cannot walk or speak. They seemed to reach an agreement back in December 2013 when the kids were granted visitation rights, but the family feud has since taken a turn for the worst.
Kasem’s kids say they went to visit their father at the hospital in Santa Monica on May 6, 2014, but a few hours after they left, he went missing. The kids, as well as Casey Kasem’s brother, believe his young wife moved him without informing them. Jean Kasem’s attorney admitted that he knows the man has been taken out of the U.S., but he doesn’t even know where his client’s husband is.
Even Casey Kasem’s first wife, Linda Myers Naylor, has expressed concern over his well being. “The kids got to see their dad [on May 6]; he mouthed, ‘I love you.’ Then his wife went in that night, dumped him into a car and took him away. He had an IV plus a stomach feeding tube,” said Naylor, adding, “This horrible woman, he’s literally afraid of her.”
Along with his kids and ex-wife, Casey Kasem’s brother, Mouner Kasem, is speaking out to try and paint a picture of who Jean Kasem really is. When Kasem was first in the hospital, his wife supposedly set strict rules for visitors. “We were allowed to see him for one hour, but we had to sign an agreement, and there was a guard there texting everything we said and did [to Jean],” said Mouner Kasem. “Every day we had to sign a new agreement.”
Jean Kasem has claimed in the past that she’s kept her husband’s kids and family away from him for his own good. In a statement filed in November 2013, Mrs. Kasem said that his kids were falsely claiming that she was keeping their father prisoner against his will. “For reasons they know all too well, their presence at this stage would be toxic and extremely distressing for Casey, Jean and their daughter, Liberty, who have had enough of their cruelty,” wrote Jean Kasem.
Kasem’s kids think his wife may have transported him to a secluded Native reservation in Washington State, but a judge has ordered an immediate investigation to uncover exactly where Casey Kasem is now.
UPDATE: Casey Kasem was located in Washington State with his wife the same day his daughter filed the missing persons report. There’s no word on his condition or his treatment.
What do you think: Is Casey Kasem’s young wife genuinely interested in his health, or is she just trying to secure his $80 million fortune?
Sources:
Appelo, T., “Casey Kasem Missing, Family Members Blame ‘Horrible’ Wife: ‘He’s Literally Afraid of Her,’” The Hollywood Reporter web site, May 12, 2014; http://goo.gl/RtEkYj.
