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Jean Thompson Kasem (born ) is an American former actress. She is the widow of radio personality and actor Casey Kasem.
She relocated to California and unsuccessfully attempted to find work in broadcast journalism. Frustrated, she joined an acting workshop and soon found roles on such TV series as Matt Houston, Fantasy Island and Alice.
Kasem played the recurring role of Loretta Tortelli, the wife of Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya) on Cheers and as a cast-member of the short-lived spinoff The Tortellis. She has also worked as voice actor for such animated television series as Darkwing Duck, 2 Stupid Dogs, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!, Johnny Bravo, and Mother Goose and Grimm.
She made guest appearances in several movies and television shows, including Growing Pains, Cybill, Hunter, Family Feud, Hollywood Squares, My Two Dads, Hope & Gloria and others. She also has a short, but memorable appearance in the original Ghostbusters movie.
She holds twelve patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, all pertaining to crib and canopy design, developed for her infant bed business, Little Miss Liberty Round Crib Company. "Little Miss Liberty Round Crib Company". Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
In 1989, Casey Kasem purchased a house built in 1954, previously owned by developer Abraham M. Lurie, as a birthday present for her.
On October 1, 2013, Kerri Kasem, her siblings, their uncle (Casey's brother), as well as numerous friends and colleagues protested outside Casey and Jean Kasem's home, saying Jean Kasem had been preventing contact with Casey Kasem for three months. Six days later, Julie Kasem and her husband, Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, filed a conservatorship petition to place Casey Kasem under their care. The court denied their petition.
On May 12, 2014, Kerri Kasem was granted conservatorship over Jean Kasem's objection. The court ordered an investigation into Casey Kasem's whereabouts, after Jean Kasem's attorney argued the court had no jurisdiction as he was "no longer in the United States," but did not give any information to the court about Kasem's whereabouts. But after Casey was located in Washington state, Kerri Kasem was given custody.
Casey Kasem died on June 15, 2014, aged 82. His widow was given her husband's body for funeral arrangements, "Casey Kasem funeral arrangements to be handled by wife". TMZ. June 16, 2014. and Casey Kasem was buried in the Vestre gravlund cemetery in Oslo, Norway.
Personal life
She was married to radio personality Casey Kasem from 1980 until his death in 2014, and they had one child together, Liberty Jean Kasem.
Stepchildren and conservatorship
Casey Kasem had three children from a previous marriage: Kerri Kasem, Julie, and Mike Kasem. In October 2013, Kerri Kasem said that her father was suffering from Parkinson's disease; a few months later, she said Casey Kasem had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, which is often difficult to differentiate from Parkinson's. Comments about disease aired around 9:41 p.m. EDT; comments about purpose at the end of the interview. Owing to his condition, he was no longer able to speak.
Filmography
1982 Strike Force Marlene Episode: "Lonely Ladies" 1983 Matt Houston Andrea Episode: "The Yacht Club Murders" We Got It Made Clarisse Episode: "Mickey Goes Topless" Alice Babette Episode: "It Had to Be Mel" 1984 Fantasy Island Actress Episode: "The Awakening of Love/The Imposter" Ghostbusters Tall Woman at Party 1984–1993 Cheers Loretta Tortelli 6 episodes 1985 Star Fairies Ture Love (voice) Television film 1987 The Tortellis Loretta Tortelli 13 episodes 1989 Growing Pains DeDe DeWitt Episode: "Ben and Mike's Excellent Adventure" 1990 Rock Hudson Madge Elliot Fauman, Ph.D. Meredith Dashley Fall from Grace Palm Springs Realtor Television film The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda Additional voices Episode: "Pity the Poor Pirate" The New Dragnet Miss Lamorock Episode: "Where's My Soup Cans?" 1991 Hunter Wanda Crebbs Episode: "Little Man with a Big Reputation" Perfect Crimes Sheila Television film Darkwing Duck Additional voices Episode: "My Valentine Ghoul" The Story Lady Sensuous Witch Television film 1993 2 Stupid Dogs Female Contestant (voice) Episode: "Let's Make a Right Price" 1994 Nurses Jean Episode: "All the Pretty Caseys" A Million to Juan Party Guest The 5 Mrs. Buchanans Frances 'Tink' Larson Episode: "The Mothers-in-Law" 1995 Hope & Gloria Candy Episode: "The Dupree Family Christmas" 1997 Johnny Bravo Tabitha, Suzy's Mom (voices) 1 episode Malcolm & Eddie Nurse L. Reed Episode: "Whose Room Is It Anyway?" 1998 Buddy Faro Unknown role Episode: "Death by Airbrush" 1999 Good vs. Evil Sitcom Wife Episode: "To Be or Not to Be Evil" 2007 Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! Cat Lady (voice) Episode: "Operation Dog and Hippie Boy"
Final role
External links
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