Not being able to see dad is killing me

My father is a prisoner in his own home, said Class 95FM DJ Mike Kasem on Thursday.

His dad, Casey, is a legendary DJ and voice actor.

He used to host the famous American Top 40 radio show. The show was broadcast here over Rediffusion.

Mike, along with sisters Kerri, 41, and Julie, 38, have been barred from seeing their dad at his Holmby Hills mansion near Hollywood by their stepmum, Jean Kasem, an actress best known for her role in the short-lived Cheers spin-off in the 80s, The Tortellis.

Stricken by Parkinson's Disease, the 81-yearold Kasem has also lost his voice due to the disease.

Mike, 40, told The New Paper: "He's the best dad in the whole world and he's really close to us.

"It kills me to not be able to see him.

"But this was something that we were prepared for as we've always known that Jean doesn't like us.

"We've always had a strained relationship with her.

"What we want to tell her is, just let us see him, this is not about the will.

"We're praying that she will change her mind."

Mike is currently living in Singapore, while his sisters live in the US.

The last time Mike saw his dad was last year in the US, and he's worried he may never see him again.

Mike said that his dad had trouble walking then and could only shuffle about with assistance.

Mike said that his dad had told him and his sisters 10 years ago that he wasn't including them in his will in order to respect Jean's wishes.

He said that the three of them didn't take it personally and don't mind it since they aren't in need of the money.

Since his dad started going on the decline seven years ago, he and his sisters have been trying to see him whenever they can.

Initially, Jean would get their driver to send Kasem to his kids' houses to visit them.

Dad's not available

But in the last few months, she stopped doing that and turned her stepchildren away when they showed up at her door.

She told them: "Dad is no longer available."

Mike also said that no one answers the mobile phone that they gave their dad.

On Tuesday, friends and relatives of Kasem staged a protest outside his house, holding placards that read: "Let Casey see his kids."

Kerri held one that read: "Jean, why won't you let me see my dad?

Things came to a head when Jean called the police and even then, Kasem's kids were denied access to him.

The police were let in by Jean and they later confirmed that Kasem was in the house. Kasem had divorced his first wife, Linda Myers, in the 70s.

He married Jean in the 80s and has a 22-year-old daughter, Liberty, a singer-songwriter, with her.

Mike laughed softly when he recounted how his dad had been a worrywart in his younger days.

He said that his dad would scare his kids about things like drugs and kidnappers.

Even though Casey was a famous personality, he kept his kids close to his heart, said Mike.

"He's been the rock in our lives and he loves us so much.

"If he could speak now, he would say that he wants to see us.

"But it's come to a stage where he's in a really bad state and he doesn't really know what's going on.

"If he knew all this was happening, it would break his heart.

"This is not what he would have wanted."

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