The Mysterious Case Of Casey Kasem

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Days after he left a nursing home, radio icon Casey Kasem was spotted in Washington state -- but his exact location remains unclear.

Kitsap County sheriff's deputies performed a welfare check Tuesday at an address provided by California Adult Protective Services, according to CNN affiliate KOMO.

Authorities found Casey and his wife visiting others at a home. The couple told deputies they were on vacation, sheriff's department spokesman Scott Wilson told the affiliate.

After determining Casey was not in distress and was receiving appropriate care, the deputies left.

"We are grateful to local authorities for finding my Dad. We are one step closer to bringing him home," daughter KerriKasem said in a statement Wednesday night.

But the statement added that Kasem's exact location in Washington "is still being determined." Kitsap County authorities have not released the address where they found Kasem.

And the family still has "grave concerns about his medical care," the daughter's representative said in the statement.

"The Kasem family will do everything in their power to bring their father home," Danny Deraney added.

New guardianship

Kasem, 82, is suffering from Lewy body disease -- a common cause of dementia, a spokesman for his daughter told CNN on Tuesday.

On Monday, a judge named Kasem's daughter, Kerri, the temporary conservator until a June 20 hearing.

But she hadn't been able to take on the responsibility without knowing where he was. Kerri Kasem has said she feared her father may have been taken out of the country.

Kerri and her sister, Julie Kasem, told CNN they last visited their father a week ago in the nursing home where he was staying.

When the daughters' attorney, Troy Martin, called the day after the visit to check up on Kasem, he was told by the nursing home that he had been removed overnight, Martin told CNN.

Daughters vs. wife

Julie Kasem and her husband, Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, filed an earlier conservatorship petition claiming the retired radio host "has been isolated from his daughters, friends and other family" by his wife, Jean Kasem.

"We tried everything to get her to let us see him when she stopped bringing him over to the house," Kerri Kasem told CNN in December. "She had an assistant bring him over to the house so we could see him every weekend. She stopped. My sister went there, knocked on the door, and she was escorted off the property."

But the wife gave a very different take on the ordeal last November.

"These children single-handedly and irreparably shattered the lives of their father, his wife and youngest daughter, the calm of their home and their neighborhood by engaging in uncalled for public demonstrations and personal attacks in the media," she said in court papers, according to CNN affiliate KCBS.

"They are doing so with a professionally orchestrated media and legal campaign that has disgraced their father and vilified their stepmother."

Last year, a judge ruled that Kasem was being well cared for by his wife. The judge denied a request by Kasem's children that a temporary conservator be appointed.

Attempts to contact Jean Kasem's attorney earlier this week were unsuccessful.

Jean Kasem, 60 this year, was an actress with roles in "Ghostbusters" and "Cheers."

Decades of fame

Casey Kasem, who hosted radio music countdown shows "American Top 40" and "Casey's Top 40" for decades, retired in 2009.

Besides the famed countdown shows, Kasem was also the voice of Shaggy in the cartoon "Scooby-Doo" and an announcer for NBC. He was a popular DJ and occasional actor before "American Top 40" began in 1970.

His case has drawn attention to Lewy body dementia -- the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The condition can be hard to diagnose because Parkinson's and Alzheimer's cause similar symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/showbiz/casey-kasem-whereabouts/
 
Revealed: The wife of radio host Casey Kasem is a bit-part actress who is 'desperate to become a reality TV star on Real Housewives' as the family feud over his $80m fortune


  • Casey Kasem, 82, was found in Washington this week after his children from a previous marriage called police when he vanished from his Santa Monica nursing home
  • Their visit to see the radio legend, who can now barely speak, infuriated his wife, Jean Kasem, 59, and she took him away
  • The drama has laid bare the bitter battle between the children and Jean, who she claims has been 'vilified'
  • MailOnline has evidence suggesting Jean Kasem is desperate to beomce a celebrity on reailty TV show The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

The wife of severely ill radio legend Casey Kasem is desperate to become a reality TV star, the MailOnline can reveal.
Former actress Jean Kasem, 59 – who is currently at the centre of a bitter family feud over the care of her husband – wants to make a return to the lime-light.
The statuesque blonde had a small role in the 1984 hit movie Ghostbusters but is best known for playing the ditzy wife of Nick Tortelli on the hit '80s sitcom Cheers.

Returning tot he limelight: Jean Kasem, 59, had a small role in the 1984 hit movie Ghostbusters

article-2631236-1DF03AE700000578-630_634x451.jpg

Chtarring role: Jean is best known for playing the ditzy wife of Nick Tortelli on the hit 80s sitcom Cheers


article-2630520-1DD13BE400000578-849_634x499.jpg


Happier times: Court papers reveal how Kasem's three children from his previous marriage, Kerri, Michael and Julie were on good terms with Jean until his health deteriorated. But for seven years they have been fighting over who cares for him with Jean claiming they showed 'disturbing' behavior and want to secure his $80m

She has rarely been seen on television screens since - spending most of her time caring for 82-year-old husband Casey.
But a source told MailOnline: ‘Jean hasn’t been on TV for many years, she runs her own business and has invested a lot of time caring for her husband, but she’s keen to get back in the spotlight.

‘She’s spoken to producers about having her own reality show and I know she was desperate to get on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.’


Last year Jean admitted her interest in starring in hit show RHOBH that is currently in its fourth season, and said she was in talks with producers at Bravo.
It was rumored she was being lined up to replace departed show stars Adrienne Maloof and Camille Grammar.
The move never transpired but sources say she is still keen to sign a deal for her own show.


article-2630520-1DE859CF00000578-344_634x691.jpg

New family: Kasem married Jean, a statuesque actress in 1980, a year after his divorce. They went on to have a daughter together, Liberty, pictured with them above. She is now 23 and firmly sides with her mother


Jean certainly has enough housewife credentials, she has been married to radio icon Casey since 1980.
The couple have a $10million home on the edge of Beverly Hills where she lives with her daughter, aspiring singer Liberty, 23.
Liberty is desperate to launch her singing career and would no doubt be keen to star in a reality show alongside her mom.
Her official website describes Liberty as a pop singer who performs in and around LA.
Her bio states her showbiz parents initially tried to dissuade her from pursuing a career in music but she began writing songs from a young age.
It adds: "Liberty is carrying on a proud tradition for an entirely new generation of radio listeners and fans."
Liberty is extremely close to her mom and just last week she pledged her undying love for Jean on Facebook.
In a passionate message posted on Mother's Day, Liberty wrote: 'Mom I love you your my best friend I would die without you! We are one!!!'
There’s certainly no doubt that a reality show starring the Kasem clan would be packed with drama.

article-2630520-1DEA18C500000578-794_634x897.jpg

Frail: Kasem (pictured here in 2009) has suffered terrible health problems. At first doctors thought he had Parkinson's and dementia. But now they have diagnosed him with Lewy body dementia that has left him unable to speak and bed-ridden for most of the time

Jean is currently at the center of a row over his husband’s health-care which last week sparked an international man-hunt for her frail husband who was reported missing.
Casey has since turned up on ‘vacation’ with his wife in Port Orchard, Washington.
But his older children from a previous marriage are furious that Jean took their dad away from the Berkley East Convalescent Hospital in Santa Monica where he was being cared for.
Casey was secretly moved without his gurney and all his medical equipment was gone. He suffers from Lewy body dementia, a progressive disease.
'Wildchild': Liberty, who describes herself as a singer/songwriter, has given Jean public support. On Mother's Day, she wrote: 'Together we stand together and we shall not fall!!!'

article-2630520-1DE84D9300000578-327_306x423.jpg
article-2630520-1DE84D6800000578-560_306x423.jpg

Upset: Jean says in court documents that Kerri, Julie and Michael have ‘single-handedly and irreparably shattered the lives' of Kasem, Jean and Liberty (above) and have 'vilified their stepmother'



article-2630520-1DE89A2000000578-217_306x423.jpg

His daughters contacted the authorities and the media and claiming had been 'kidnapped' and was being 'hidden' by Jean.
But when police found the star they said he was 'cognizant' and did not appear in distress.
The MailOnline has also revealed how Jean and Casey’s children, Kerri, Julie and Mike are embroiled in a bitter seven year legal battle over Casey’s ongoing medical care.
Accusations that Casey was abused by his wife Jean have been hurled around.
His daughters branded her a ‘wicked’ step-mom, while Jean blames their ‘disturbing’ behavior for splitting the family up.
And shocking allegations of harassment and threats as well as lively street protests outside the family home have sparked endless rows.



article-2630520-1DE859DD00000578-927_634x855.jpg

Glamor: Jean was an actress who had a small part in Ghostbusters and was a love interest on sit-com Cheers



Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2631236/The-wife-radio-host-Casey-Kasem-desperate-reality-TV-star-Real-Housewives-family-feud-80m-fortune.html#ixzz320FBhSJh
 
Updated: Saturday, May 24, 12:24 AM

BREMERTON, Wash. — The wife of ailing radio personality Casey Kasem was served Friday with a California court order that temporarily suspends her powers to determine her husband’s medical care amid concerns about his health and welfare.

The order Kitsap County sheriff’s deputies said they delivered also expands daughter Kerri Kasem’s authority to determine whether her father, who’s now in Washington state, is receiving adequate medical care.


Wife Jean Kasem told KING-TV in an interview aired Friday evening that her husband is getting the best possible care and she is “not going to allow anybody to shred (her) family on unfounded facts and malicious accusations.”

“My husband is very happy and comfortable in our family and has told me time and time again that he wishes to remain under my care,” she said.

“Why is she trying to block a doctor from seeing my father?” Kerri Kasem asked in a statement Friday night, telling her stepmother, “If you truly love my father, you will do the right thing and allow him to get proper medical treatment.”

Kerri Kasem’s spokesman Danny Deraney said she has a special Washington state court order that allows her to see her father, but there was no timetable for when that will happen.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy ordered Jean Kasem to comply with court orders allowing doctors to evaluate her husband, and also allow his daughter Kerri to see him. He also ordered Jean Kasem to surrender her husband’s passport and temporarily suspended her powers to determine her husband’s medical care.

In mid-May, Murphy had expressed concerns about Kasem’s whereabouts and safety amid a dispute between his wife and children from another marriage.

The sheriff’s office in Kitsap County, west of Seattle, tracked him down the next day.

Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Wilson said officers who performed a welfare check May 13 on the 82-year-old Kasem found him staying at the home of long-time family friends. Jean Kasem says they are on a family vacation.

Kasem “appeared to be not in distress,” Wilson said Friday. “He couldn’t speak but he appeared to us to be cognizant of what was going on around him and who people were.”

The sheriff’s spokesman said medications were present and those at the home, including Jean Kasem, said appropriate medical care was being provided. Medical professionals, including doctors and visiting nurses, have been “attending him as required,” Wilson said.

Kerri Kasem’s court filings state her father is suffering from a form of dementia called Lewy Body Disease.

The sheriff’s spokesman noted that the officers who delivered the court order were “basically the messengers between the courts in California” and Kasem’s connections in Washington.

“We wouldn’t enforce anything until we were directed by the Washington court and coordinated with our prosecutor’s office,” Wilson said. “That hasn’t happened.”

Kasem gained fame with his radio music countdown shows, “American Top 40” and “Casey’s Top 40,” and he was the voice of Shaggy in the cartoon “Scooby Doo.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/enter...15ab6c-e2f3-11e3-9442-54189bf1a809_story.html
 
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state judge on Friday granted a daughter of ailing radio personality Casey Kasem regular visits after she raised concerns about his well-being.

The ruling by Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Forbes added another twist to the ongoing dispute between Kasem's wife, Jean, and her stepdaughter, Kerri Kasem, who has said in legal filings that her father suffers from a form of dementia.

Kerri Kasem said in court that her father is suffering from bedsores along with lung and bladder infections.

Casey Kasem, who was not in court, gained fame with his radio music countdown shows, "American Top 40" and "Casey's Top 40." Now 82, he and his wife have been staying with family friends west of Seattle.

Jean Kasem has been in control of his medical care and has controlled access to him, blocking three of his children from seeing him in recent months, according to court filings.

In an impromptu news conference Friday afternoon on the lawn of the home where the couple has been staying, Jean Kasem scolded the children.

"Shame on these children! Shame! Who have done this to their father and who have shredded my family," she said.

Last week, she was served with a California court order that temporarily suspended her powers to determine his medical treatment and expanded Kerri Kasem's authority to determine whether her father is receiving adequate care. By then, the couple had traveled from California to Washington state.

While allowing Kerri Kasem to visit her father, the judge also set a June 6 court date to further consider whether to enforce the California court order. Forbes also allowed Kerri Kasem to have a doctor of her choosing examine her father.

Kerri Kasem arrived at the home Friday evening and spent an hour inside, KING-TV reported. She made no comment as she left.

During the hearing, Jean Kasem's attorney, Joel Paget, said Casey Kasem is being cared for by professional staff as well as his wife. The lawyer denied that Casey Kasem's health has deteriorated since he was moved to Washington state.

"They came up here to get some peace and quiet," Paget said.

Lawyers for Jean Kasem also raised concerns about the possibility of pictures of Casey Kasem being given to the media. The judge told Kerri Kasem that any images from her visits could not be distributed beyond herself or her lawyer.

Jean Kasem spoke only briefly in hushed tones in the courtroom.

Forbes said Kerri Kasem will be allowed daily visits for up to an hour. She also ruled that Casey Kasem must stay in Washington state unless a deal is struck to return him to California, and that Kerri Kasem could bring a witness to her visits with her father.

"I actually would like to have somebody in there," she said. "I have been accused of things I haven't done. It's for my protection."

An unidentified man accompanied Kerri Kasem on her Friday evening visit.

Outside the courtroom, Liberty Kasem, the daughter of Casey and Jean Kasem, told reporters that she has tried unsuccessfully to talk to her sister about the situation.

"I love my dad. I do. Honestly. My mom and I care for him. He's doing really good in Washington," Liberty Kasem said.

Earlier this month, a judge in Los Angeles expressed concerns about Casey Kasem's safety and whereabouts after an attorney for his wife said he did not know where Kasem was.

The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office tracked him down the next day and said appropriate medical care was being provided.

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainme...cle_22cb2f65-36af-5bf8-a20b-80e20e9a717d.html
 
Casey Kasem Hospitalized Wife Throws Raw Meat At His Daughter

6/1/2014 6:46 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

breaking news


Casey Kasem's wife chucked a raw piece of meat at his daughter Sunday ... all because Kerri Kasem attempted to take the radio legend to a hospital.

The back-and-forth drama between Jean Kasem and some of Kasem's kids has been bitter ... but Kerri was finally allowed to see her dad Friday ... per a judge's order.

The judge also allowed Kerri to have Casey hospitalized if necessary ... which is why she showed up Sunday with an ambulance at the home he's staying at in Washington ... but Jean wasn't having it.

In the video, you can see both sides of the family GOING OFF ... and for some reason it looks like there's both cops and a biker crew facilitating things.

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

Ambulance workers were eventually allowed inside and they took Casey to a nearby hospital.


Read more: http://www.tmz.com#ixzz33UHVmPT8
 
I suspect Casey probably made all the important decisions in that marriage before he became ill. She's clearly in way over her head and she's doing things that make sense to her and no one else.
 
(Reuters) - Radio personality Casey Kasem, who is at the center of a legal battle between family members over his care, was in critical condition at a Washington state hospital with an infected bed sore, a hospital spokesman said.

Kasem, 82, was brought to the emergency room at St Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, Washington, on Sunday suffering from the infection and was admitted that day, hospital spokesman Scott Thompson said in a written statement.

"Mr. Kasem is receiving wound care, intravenous antibiotic therapy, blood pressure support medication as well as treatment for his pain," Thompson said. "Mr. Kasem is alert, appears comfortable at this time."

Thompson said the hospital was releasing details about Kasem's condition to counter what he called "misinformation" that had been published in the media. He did not elaborate on that misinformation.

Danny Deraney, a spokesman for Kasem's three children from his first marriage, said that the deejay's daughters, Kerri and Julie, were at their father's side and that his son, Mike, was en route to Washington.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/05/us-usa-people-kasem-idUSKBN0EG2ZX20140605
 
Judge: Casey Kasem should be fed, hydrated


A judge ruled Monday that Casey Kasem should be fed, hydrated and medicated while a court-appointed attorney evaluates the health of the ailing radio personality after his daughter moved to implement end of life measures. Kasem, who has dementia, was in critical condition in a Washington hospital.

His daughter Kerri Kasem, who has been placed in temporary control of his treatment, consulted with doctors and decided in recent days to stop giving her father food, water and medications, attorneys said in court.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy ruled that Casey Kasem should receive the treatments while an attorney appointed by the judge meets with Kasem and his doctors in Washington state.

Kerri Kasem's attorney Troy Martin said the decision to begin end-of-life measures was made after doctors determined that feeding and hydrating the celebrity had become increasingly painful. Martin said the judge's ruling is likely to cause the former "American Top 40" host more pain.

Casey Kasem's wife of 34 years, Jean Kasem, appeared in court and said she supported Murphy's ruling and will ask to be restored as her husband's caretaker.
"Only God knows when to take someone," she said.

She lashed out at Kerri Kasem and judges who have found Jean Kasem in contempt for refusing to cooperate with her stepdaughter, who was named Casey Kasem's temporary conservator last month after he was moved to Washington state.
Jean and Kerri Kasem have been fighting in courts in Washington state and Los Angeles over his care.

Murphy scheduled a hearing for Friday to receive an update about Kasem's health. Jean Kasem's attorney, Steve Haney, said it was unclear how much longer Kasem had to live.
Despite the family acrimony, Murphy said Kerri and Jean Kasem seemed to be doing what was best for Casey Kasem.

"It appears to the court that all parties have the best interest of Mr. Kasem at heart," the judge said.
http://www.aol.com/article/2014/06/09/judge-casey-kasem-should-be-fed-hydrated/20909249/?icid=maing-grid7|netscape|dl2|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D485962
 
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Casey Kasem, an iconic voice of radio and television for decades, lies critically ill in a Washington state hospital, while his three children from his first marriage fight with their stepmother, Jean Kasem, in court and the media for control of his final days.

A Los Angeles judge reversed his own decision Wednesday and gave daughter Kerri Kasem the authority to have doctors end his infusions of water, food and medicine.

"The court's decision today upheld our father's explicit wishes as expressed by him in his health directive," Kerri Kasem said in a statement after the hearing. She was referring to a directive her father signed in 2007, saying he would not want to be kept alive if it "would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning."

The public battle -- always emotional and sometimes bizarre -- began in October 2013 when daughters Julie and Kerri led a protest outside of Kasem's Los Angeles mansion, holding signs demanding that their stepmom let them see their ailing father. When confronted earlier this month in Washington state, a rep for one of the daughters said, Jean Kasem tossed raw hamburger meat toward one of her stepchildren, saying she was throwing the meat at "the dogs."

After Kasem was told he had Parkinson's in 2007, he signed a document giving his oldest children authority to make his medical decisions if he should become unable to do so himself.

The power of attorney statement signed by Kasem on November 11, 2007, included a declaration that he did not want to be kept alive with "any form of life sustaining procedures, including nutrition and hydration" if it "would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope of normal functioning."

This document, which snubbed Kasem's wife, set the stage for the legal battle that would erupt six years later as his health deteriorated and his children accused the stepmother of shutting them out of their father's life. It would serve as a legal basis for his daughter to have doctors discontinue infusions of water, food and medicine.

Kasem's oldest daughters took to the streets of the exclusive Holmby Hills community in early October 2013 to publicly demand that their stepmother allow them to see their father. Kerri Kasem told reporters that Jean Kasem had kept them away for the previous three months and she was worried about his health.


"I don't get it, I don't understand it," she told CNN. "He has Parkinson's, and all the research we've done indicates socialization would help him."

About a dozen people who said they were friends of Kasem joined the daughters in the sign-waving demonstration at the entrance to the Kasem estate. "Let Casey see his kids," one sign read. His younger brother, Mouner Kasem, flew to Los Angeles from Michigan to hold a sign that read: "I miss my brother".

"He can't really speak, but he knows we're there," Kerri Kasem told a TV reporter covering the protest. "And last time we saw him, he could shuffle a little bit. He had a hard, very hard, time walking. He was just deteriorating due to Parkinson's disease."

Daughter Julie Kasem and her husband, a cardiologist, filed a petition in court days later asking a judge to give them control of Kasem's medical care. Los Angeles County Superior Judge Lesley Green appointed an investigator to report on Kasem's condition. The judge ruled in November that he was being well cared for by his wife and denied the daughter's request for a medical conservatorship.

Jean Kasem's lawyer defended her decision to keep the stepchildren away in a court filing in November. "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."


Julie and her brother Mike Kasem reached a confidential agreement with their stepmother in December that allowed them to visit their father, although Kerri Kasem refused.

She talked to CNN Piers Morgan in December about the dispute. "It's like, take the person that you love most on Earth, know that they're sick, know they want to see you, you get 20 minutes with them before being ripped away by an armed guard and having them say 'please stay' and you can't."

Kerri Kasem started the Kasem Cares Foundation with the goal of "supporting visitation rights of adult children with an ailing parent."

All of Kasem's children, his brother and his wife gathered at St. Anthony's Hospital on Friday, preparing to say goodbye. Kasem "won't be with us much longer," said Danny Deraney, the rep for Kerri Kasem.

Despite their bitter squabble, Kerri Kasem said the children from his first marriage wanted their stepmother and half-sister to be with them as it seemed his last moments were nearing.

"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, including Jean and Liberty," she said.


Any family unity was shattered by Monday, when Jean Kasem appeared in a Los Angeles court to ask a judge to order Kasem's doctors to resume his water, nutrition and medication infusions. The judge agreed.

Her lawyer accused Kasem's daughter of trying to hasten her father's death by having the infusions stopped over the weekend. Attorney Steve Haney called Kerri Kasem "a godless woman" who said her motive for speeding up her father's death was financial. Kerri Kasem "could cash in immediately" on her share of a $2 million life insurance policy when he dies, he said.

Kerri Kasem was in Washington with her father Monday and not at the hearing, but her lawyer defended her.

"I think Kerri has conducted herself in a way that demonstrates she's solely concerned about the health of her father," attorney Troy Martin said.

Murphy reconsidered his decision at a hearing Wednesday. He restored Kerri Kasem's authority to have doctors remove her father's water, food and medicine infusions. He said his decision was based on a review of Kasem's medical records.

"For the last 11 days, our father has been surrounded day and night by love and care by his daughters Kerri and Julie, his son Mike, his brother Mouner and sister-in-law Mary, and his dear friend Gonzalo Venecia," Kerri's rep said in a statement to CNN Wednesday. "We continue to hope that Jean and Liberty will come join his family during this time."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/10/showbiz/casey-kasem-timeline/