Casey Kasem's Wife Ordered to Appear in Court, Faces Arrest if She Fails to Do So

Adult daughter Kerri and wife Jean involved in ongoing dispute over radio legend's medical care

By Rebecca Macatee May 29, 2014 2:36 PMTags
Casey Kasem, Jean KasemChad Buchanan/Getty Images

Casey Kasem's family drama isn't letting up yet.

The 82-year-old radio legend's wife, actress Jean Kasem, has been ordered to appear in a Kitsap County, Washington, court Friday, Fox News reports. Documents served to Jean on Wednesday warned that her failure to appear in court tomorrow could lead to a warrant for her arrest.

Kerri Kasem, Casey's adult daughter, and her stepmother Jean are involved in an ongoing dispute as to whether the former "Top 40" host is receiving adequate medical care. While Kerri was appointed her father's temporary caretaker during a hearing earlier this month, Casey is reportedly still staying with wife Jean and family friends in Washington.

Kerri became temporary caretaker of her father after filing a missing persons report to locate her father and an attorney for her stepmother admitted to having "no idea" where his client's husband was.

Casey's wife was was given legal power to make medical decisions for him in 2011, saying then she had no desire to obtain conservatorship of her husband, who suffers from Lewy body disease, a form of dementia, unless a court ruled he needed protection. His daughter Kerri was denied conservatorship of her father in November 2013, with a judge saying saying he was getting "good to excellent care" at home with Jean. Prior to that, the radio icon's adult children spoke to a local news station, alleging that their stepmother had cut off their access to their father and they were concerned about the medical treatment he was receiving.

Per Fox News, Casey's wife was not immediately reachable for comment, while a spokesman for daughter Kerri said her Washington state order allows her to see her father.