Before Linda Myers got married to Casey Kassem, she was not really known even though she made an appearance in a movie but her fame rose rapidly after she got married to her husband. One can even argue that she got much more popular after his death, her divorce from the multi-talented American media personality, and the legal battle that ensued between her family and the lady Casey Kassem married after his divorce from Linda Myers Kasem.
In this post, we shall take a lot at who Linda Myers Kasem is, her background her children, what happened during the legal battle, and what she has been up to in recent times since she has been off the media radar for a very long time. We will also share vital information about the late Casey Kasem.
Is Linda Myers Kasem Alive?
There has been no fresh news about the late Casey Kasem’s ex-wife in a while so one can deduce that she is still alive as of 2023. She appears to be one who prefers to live and stay off media reach or attention. She is not on any social media platform, unlike her children who are quite active.
Who is Linda Myers Kasem?
Linda Myers Kasem is recognized as the ex-wife of the late American actor, DJ, and radio host Kemal Amin “Casey” Kasem, also known as Casey Kasem. Aside from her marriage to Kasem, who rose to prominence for his American Top 40 and as the voice of Shaggy in the 1960s animated series Scooby-Doo, she made a cameo role as Butch Officer 2 in the 1980 comedy picture Up The Academy.
Her seven-year marriage to the radio personality produced three children: Kerri, Michael, and Julie.
Linda Myers Kasem Children
Two of Linda’s children have followed in her footsteps and entered the world of showbiz.
Linda’s eldest daughter, Kerri Kasem, is a multimedia personality, producer, and writer. With 26 years of experience, she has anchored music, talk, and entertainment programs for radio and TV. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with prominent media outlets such as Premiere Radio Networks, ABAC, 97.1FM TALK, MTV USA and Asia, National Lampoon, and Sprint. Kerri is also the founder of the Kasem Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization established in April 2014 with a mission to prevent elder abuse.
Linda’s son, Michael “Mike” Kasem, is a TV presenter, actor, and DJ. He has worked with Gold 905FM in Singapore and made his first movie appearance in 2014’s “Afterimages” and 2015’s “1965.” Mike is married to Su Ann Heng, a Singaporean TV personality and former golfer, and they have a daughter named Casey Patrick Kasem.
As for Linda’s youngest daughter, Julie Kasem, she prefers to maintain a low profile, much like her mother.
Background
Linda Myers Kasem was born in the United States as Linda Myers Naylor. While facts of her early life and family background have been kept private, her marriage and divorce from famed DJ and radio personality Casey Kasem thrust her into the public eye. She married Kasem in 1972 and had three children with him: daughters Kerri Kasem and Julie Kasem, and son Michael “Mike” Kasem.
Why did Linda Myers divorce, Casey Kassem?
Linda and Kasem divorced in 1979, after seven years of marriage. Her main cause for the breakup was his rage. In an interview, she stated that she loves him but chose divorce due to his rage. The following year, her ex-husband married 68-year-old former American actress Jean Thompson Kasem, with whom he stayed married until his death in 2014 at the age of 82.
Legal Battle and Casey Kasem’s death
At first, there were claims that Jean Kasem, Casey Kasem’s wife, had no desire to establish a relationship with her stepchildren. Despite their father’s mansion’s sufficient space for them, she preferred that they retain their distance.
When Casey Kasem’s health deteriorated in 2013, the matter took a new turn. Jean actively discouraged Linda’s three children from communicating with their father. Kerri, Mike, Julie, Kasem’s brother Mounir, and other family members, friends, and colleagues planned a protest outside Kasem’s apartment on October 1, that year, to convey their worries and grievances.
he family’s conflicts extended beyond mere disagreements and reached the courtroom, as Linda Kasem’s children filed a lawsuit against Jean Kasem seeking conservatorship over their father.
Following Casey Kasem’s passing, Kerri obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent Jean from cremating her father’s body, intending to allow for an autopsy. However, Kerri discovered that Jean had already relocated her late husband’s body and laid him to rest six months prior.
With Casey Kasem reportedly having a net worth of $80-$100 million, the ongoing disputes within the family may be attributed to financial reasons. Jean, his widow, has accused his children and brothers of attempting to gain control over his wealth. This recollection brings to mind an incident where she threw meat at Kerri and made vulgar remarks.
On the other hand, Casey’s children and brothers have alleged that Jean married him solely for his money and deliberately distanced him from his loved ones.
The family disagreements continued, leading Casey Kasem’s older children and brother to sue Jean for wrongful death and emotional distress caused during their father and brother’s illness. However, the case lacked evidence as it was asserted that Casey received appropriate medical care, and there were no indications of foul play.
In December 2019, Linda’s children reached a settlement in the wrongful death case against Jean Kasem, thereby bringing an end to years of feuding between the two parties.
