Watch this clip from Channel 7 KOAT in New Mexico on our progress there and in 18 states!
“A harrowing ordeal that played out in the media, has inspired one woman to help others avoid the heartbreak she endured. Many viewers may remember Kerri Kasem’s battle to visit her father, radio icon Casey Kasem during his final months– she says, only to be rebuffed by his wife, who moved him from state to state, including here in Washington, before he passed away in June. Kerri is promoting a bill to help others in her situation get the rights they need to visit and tend to an ailing parent. Kerri shared more about the legislation, as well as how her Kasem Cares Foundation, is working to help families facing similar situations.”
SEATTLE — The daughter of the legendary Casey Kasem, host of “American Top 40” radio and TV show, is breaking her silence about the death of her famous father following a very public national drama played out near Seattle last year.
In her first full interview about it, Kerri Kasem explained how her famous father was kept from his family by his second wife, and the legal battle to get him back – even though it was too late to save his life.
“The doctor said, quote, ‘what was done to this man was inhumane’,” she said.
She warns it is the same nightmare that thousands of families face every year. And, she said, she intends to do something about it.
Casey Kasem was a friend of an entire generation, and Kerri said she is “so proud of my dad!”
Kerri Kasem says her famous dad, despite a divorce, was always there for his kids even at the height of his career. But Kerri accuses his second wife Jean Kasem of isolating him in his ailing years, eventually taking him to a tiny house near Bremerton despite his grave condition.
“Adult children don’t have the rights to ask for visitation to an ailing parent,” she said. “The only people that can give visitation is a spouse, a guardian, a conservator. And if any of those people say no, sorry – you’re never going to see your dad or mom again.”