This is a little difficult. A bitter pill to swallow.
It isn't so much the fact that radio & cartoon icon Casey Kasem (ex-American Top 40) is ailing and has advanced Parkinson's disease, but rather the idea that his wife of 33 years, Jean, is preventing his three children from his first marriage and other family members from visiting him to lend their support.
It was all over the news on Wednesday. One article I read earlier this afternoon says that Casey, 81, was diagnosed with Parkinson's about 7 years ago, which would explain his eventual decision to hang up his microphone and retire. But what I don't get is why Jean, who had a cup of coffee in primetime in the 80's, landing a starring role in the short-lived Cheers spinoff, The Tortellis, would turn her back on her step-children, as well as Casey's brother, Mouner. The children say it's not about the money. They were written out of Casey's will some time back and don't have a problem with that. They only want to make sure their father is in good enough health.
In a case like this, the right thing to do would be to put past hostilities aside. Apparently, Jean Kasem doesn't see it that way. She isn't talking to the media, so they're only hearing one side of the story. That isn't all, though. It's come out that earlier this year, the Kasems were filing suit against a LA city agency over some issues involving water and sewage service to their home. Given Casey's present condition, one would guess Jean was really the only one filing the suit, which was kept out of the press until now.
Right now, this is one mystery that even Scooby-Doo can't solve. What Jean Kasem is doing shows a great deal of disrespect not only to her step-children, but to her husband as well, and she supposedly is trying to protect him. For that, she gets a set of Weasel ears. As a fan of Casey's from waaaaay back, my prayers are with him, and if you're also a fan, I'm hoping you're praying for him, too.
2 comments:
Trouble is we don't know much about either situation.
Casey cut his kin out of the will for a reason - maybe they were dangerous and destructive, and that's why Jean is preventing them from visiting. Of course it could just as likely be that Jean is the destructive one and turned Casey against his family and is playing gatekeeper with him now. We may never get the whole truth.
I am however ambivalent when news of his eventual passing will cross the news wires.
As Kerri had stressed, they don't need the money, but that seems to be part of the dispute. However, as I noted, the media coverage has been one sided since Jean doesn't seem inclined to give her side of the story.
Having seen pictures of Jean online today, it seems she hasn't aged very well (she's over 50), unlike Casey.........
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