Casey Kasem’s Children and Wife Locked In Fight Over Conservatorship
October 21, 2013
For many years, kids across America listened to Casey Kasem, both as the legendary host of American Top 40 and as the voice to many cartoon characters including Shaggy of Scooby-Doo fame and Batman-sidekick Robin from Super Friends.
But now, his own kids say they don’t even get to listen to him — or
even see him for that matter. And it’s led to an ugly family feud in
court.
The 81-year old Casey Kasem suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease and is essentially bedridden. He cannot walk without assistance and may have diminished mental capacity. His wife of more than 30 years, Jean, has barred Kasem’s children from his first marriage, and other friends and family members (such as his younger brother) from visiting or speaking with Kasem.
In order to pressure Jean to allow them to see Kasem, daughters Kerri Kasem and Julie Kasem, with more than a dozen friends and family members, held a protest in front of the Kasem home. When that failed to convince Jean to change her mind, the daughters filed for conservatorship, in California. A conservatorship court proceeding (called guardianship in some states) seeks to have an individual appointed to make decisions for someone who is not able to make proper decisions for himself, usually due to a medical condition like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or Parkinson’s disease.
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