Mike Kasem and siblings awarded S$2.79 million in father Casey Kasem's insurance payout
Legendary radio DJ Casey Kasem's four children, including local DJ Mike Kasem,41, were awarded a US$2 million (S$2.79 million) cash payout from their late father's life insurance policy by an American court last week.
This ruling went against the older Kasem's widow Jean Kasem, who has been embroiled in a legal battle with Kasem's children since his death in June 2014.
She had allegedly denied them access to their father, who lived with her in a mansion near Hollywood just before his death.
Kasem, who had Lewy body disease, the most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, left behind matching $2 million policies when he died.
One policy was for his wife and the other was in his children's names.
Jean claimed that the children may have contributed to their father's death.
So in light of the legal battle between Jean, who was married to him for 30 years, and Kasem's children from his first marriage, the insurer delayed payment until a judge decided who should be awarded the money.
The judge ruled that "the trustee is the sole and rightful beneficiary" and ruled in favour of the children.
Jean, 60, will still be allowed to collect her US$2 million policy.
The executor of the policy, who is the lawyer entrusted by the older Kasem with the insurance policy, has decided to hold on to the awarded sum for the time being.
This is to make sure that Jean will not sue them for wrongdoing in court, Mike told The New Paper.
He said: "This is just a step in the right direction.
"However, it doesn't even feel its anywhere in the ballpark of being finished."
In May, despite the Kasem children's effort to have their stepmother prosecuted for elder abuse, Los Angeles prosecutors refused to press charges against her.
Sources: TMZ, Daily Mail
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