Casey Kasem's Children, Brother File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against His Widow

Casey Kasem's brother and three of his children have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the late radio DJ's widow, Jean Kasem, The Associated Press reports.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, accuses Jean Kasem of elder abuse and claims that Kasem's death was "a direct and proximate result of Jean's neglect and physical abuse," according to the AP. It also alleges that Jean Kasem caused her stepchildren emotional distress by restricting their access to their father in the weeks leading up to his death, and by burying his body in an unmarked grave in Norway rather than in Los Angeles, as he had requested.

Casey Kasem's children accuse stepmother of keeping the DJ prisoner

Kasem's children claim that their stepmother repeatedly left him in a hospital after he was ready to be discharged. "What she did to my father is reprehensible," Kasem's daughter Kerri told the AP. "It's disgusting. It's horrific."

Kasem's relatives are seeking more than $250,000 in damages, and say they decided to sue Jean Kasem after prosecutors declined to charge her with criminal elder abuse earlier this year because they could not prove that her actions led to his death.

Casey Kasem died in 2014 at age 82. He and Jean Kasem were married in 1980.