Casey Kasem's widow, Jean Kasem, was sued for wrongful death by the radio personality's three children and brother in a Los Angeles superior court on Wednesday. The lawsuit claims that Jean Kasem was responsible for Casey Kasem's death and accuses her of "elder abuse and inflicting emotional distress," according to The Associated Press.
In the months leading up to his death, Casey Kasem's three children from his previous marriage to Linda Myers and Jean Kasem were involved in a nasty battle over his medical care as she restricted them from any kind of access or contact with the bed-ridden "American Top 40" host.
"Casey's early death occurred as a direct and proximate result of Jean's neglect and physical abuse of Casey," the lawsuit states, according to Rolling Stone.
The radio DJ died in June of last year after suffering from lewy body dementia. He was 82, as HNGN previously reported.
The lawsuit, filed by his children Kerri, Julie and Michael Kasem and brother Mourner Kasem, is seeking damages to the tune of $250,000.
"We would rather see her in jail than receive one dime. We don't care about the money. We care about justice," said Kerri Kasem. "What [Jean] did to my father is reprehensible. It's disgusting. It's horrific."
The suit accuses Jean Kasem of negligence and claims that she kept the radio host confined to a hospital bed in spite of his being cleared for discharge. The lawsuit also states that the widow moved him from California hospice care to a friend's house in Washington as his health deteriorated.
Last year, Casey Kasem's children reported him missing after Jean Kasem relocated him without informing anyone. In the lawsuit, Casey Kasem's children also mention his burial in an unmarked grave in Norway as an example of the emotional distress they have suffered.
The lawsuit states that Casey Kasem's family members are seeking a "fair recompense for the suffering they personally endured from witnessing the abuse and its painful and damaging physical effect on their beloved father and brother, and the gross treatment and disposition of Casey Kasem's remains in an unmarked grave in a distant land unknown to him or his family."
