Picking up the Casey Kasem saga five years after his death. When we last left the beloved host of American Top 40 and the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, his second wife had sent his body to Norway for burial ostensibly because “Norway symbolizes peace and looks like heaven.” She had previously claimed to have buried him there because she had ancestral ties to Norway.
Why is this still in the news? Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, is trying to exhume his body and return it to LA for burial. Last year, his widow claimed that a private investigator proved that his children had caused his death. After the police cleared them, his daughter now maintains that the widow abused him prior to his death. His daughter has created a foundation to pass legislation in multiple states to stop elder abuse.
Planning points? None. Observations? I will keep them brief.
1. The disharmony between daughters and their step-moms is boundless. Perhaps Kasem’s daughter could join forces with Tom Petty’s daughter to create a large foundation to vent their hatred towards their fathers’ second wives under the guise of something.
2. The widow and daughter should stop pointing fingers at each other and realize that an 82 year old man long suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and Body Lewy Dementia had a short life expectancy and likely died of natural causes. Per Howard Jones, no one is to blame.
3. Related to the prior point, but with a more contemporary musical reference, both the daughter and widow should heed the advice in a Top 5 song the year of Kasem’s death and “Let It Go.”
Hat tip: Debbe Levin for forwarding a podcast about this.
Photo Credit: Jean Kasem
License: Fair Use/Education (from linked article)
