Casey Kasem in the middle of an intense family feud.
Family and friends of the legendary "American Top 40" host took the unusual step of holding a protest (PHOTOS) in front of the star's home near Beverly Hills in hopes of seeing the retired DJ who is suffering from Parkinson's disease.
According to TMZ, Casey's wife, Jean Kasem, is not allowing his three stepchildren to visit their dying father. Kasem's children Kerri, Julie and Mike arrived at their father's house, with signs, demanding Jean to let them see their father.
"Look, people fight and they don't like each other, and that's fine," Kerri told K-ABC TV. "But its cruel to keep us from seeing our dad. We don't want any money from Jean. We don't care about that. We were raised well, and we support ourselves."
Instead of accepting their demands, Jean reportedly called the police to prevent anyone from going inside the 81-year-old's mansion. There have been no reports as to why Jean is keeping her husband away from his friends and family. Kasem's daughter said she and siblings, who are from Casey's first marriage to Lisa Myer, are worried the isolation might be compounding their dad's illness.
"My dad is very sick, and we have been completely shut off from him for the last three months," the 41-year-old Kerri said. "There is no money issue here, we just want to see our dad. We love him, and everyone knows his kids and grandkids are a source of joy for him."
Also in attendance was Casey's brother, Mouner Kasem, who reportedly has not seen his brother since he married Jean.
"I've got a feeling I might not see him again, and that's why I'm here," he said.
Casey, who is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame and has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, retired from radio in 2009. Weekly rebroadcasts of his "American Top 40" shows from the 1970s and 1980s air in more than 200 radio markets.
Along with being the voice behind "American Top 40," Kasem, born Kemal Amin Kasem, was one of the busiest voice-over men in Hollywood and best known for his voice of Shaggy in the long-running cartoon series "Scooby-Doo".
