Kerri Kasem says her father was in poor condition when his wife, Jean Kasem, removed him from a nursing home and moved him cross-country. Jean has denied the allegations, saying she did it to protect Kasem's privacy. The radio legend died a month later.
It’s been seven years since legendary DJ Casey Kasem died, but his daughter Kerri is still furious with Kasem’s widow, Jean, about what she says happened during her dad’s final days.
Jean and Kerri both accused the other of being responsible for the radio legend’s 2014 death. Now the family feud is featured in Kerri’s new podcast “Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem,” which features new allegations about Casey’s death.
Kerri alleges that her father was in poor condition when Jean removed him from a nursing home in Santa Monica and took him on a cross-country journey that Kerri says left him in pain and malnourished.
“It was the most traumatic event of my life,” a medical aide says in the podcast. “It was horrible... he was particularly vulnerable and helpless at that moment, and he was terribly frightened.”
Casey Kasem died one month later.
“Her care was tantamount to getting care in hell,” Kerri told Inside Edition. “All my dad wanted to do was be in his house, and live and die in his house. And he had plenty of money to do that. Plenty of money to have around-the-clock care.”
The former “Cheers” actress previously denied the allegations and has claimed that she moved her husband to protect his privacy. She accused his children of not acting in his best interest.
But Kerri claims, “She didn't want my dad in the house, because she had a boyfriend.”
For years, Jean and Kerri's sides of the family have battled over Kasem's estate, including his opulent Bel Air mansion. Once a breathtaking $42 million property, the mansion has since disintegrated into a shocking site of neglect.
Earlier this year, the legal fight over the estate ended with a settlement, which Kerri says she was “very unhappy with.”
But she is not done fighting. Kerri Kasem founded Kasem Cares, whose mission is to help fight elder abuse. She also hopes her new podcast will pave the way for a criminal investigation into Jean.
A lawyer for Jean Kasem told Inside Edition she is pleased and relieved the litigation is over, adding she can't comment about the allegations in the podcast because it would violate the settlement.
