The Quiet Family Story of Linda Myers Kasem and the Kasem Children

Who Is Linda Myers Kasem

Linda Myers Kasem’s public life is most notable for how little of it was publicised. She is famous for being Casey Kasem’s first wife and mother of Kerri, Mike, and Julie. Linda, unlike her famous ex-husband and their children, has avoided celebrity society.

Linda was also known as Linda Myers, Linda Kasem, and Linda Kasem Naylor. Her early childhood is hard to document. Her birth date, birthplace, and parents and childhood are not known from credible public records. That omission is crucial because many biographical webpages regurgitate fundamental facts without contributing anything.

Her relationship with Casey Kasem put her in one of America’s most famous showbiz families. Casey, born Kemal Amin Kasem on April 27, 1932, was a long-time American Top 40 host and Scooby-Doo voice. He worked in radio, television, voice acting, and humanitarianism.

Linda married Casey as his career grew. Most sources date their marriage to 1972, however some secondary records indicate older dates and differ on the divorce date. Following their 1979 divorce, Casey married actress Jean Thompson (Jean Kasem) in 1980.

Linda and Casey had three kids. Despite Casey’s professional success, their family life was mostly quiet while the kids were small.

Linda Kasem and Her Three Children

Linda’s most enduring public connection is through her children. Kerri, Mike, and Julie each followed very different paths, creating a family whose interests eventually stretched from radio and television to medicine and elder advocacy.

Kerri Kasem, born Carrie H. Kasem in Los Angeles on July 12, 1972, became a radio and television personality in her own right. She worked in radio, including programs connected with Las Vegas, and appeared in television projects. Her career later took a dramatic turn toward advocacy after the difficult final years of her father’s life.

Kerri’s work with the Kasem Cares Foundation focuses heavily on elder abuse, family isolation, visitation rights, and guardianship reform. Her advocacy grew from the experience surrounding Casey’s declining health and the family’s struggle over access to him. She has argued that isolation can itself become a form of elder abuse when a vulnerable person is separated from loved ones against their wishes.

Mike Kasem, born Michael C. Kasem on August 24, 1973, developed an international media career. He became particularly well known in Singapore, where he worked as an MTV Asia VJ from 1994 to 1999 and later continued his radio career. He has worked with Mediacorp Radio and has been associated with Gold 905FM.

Mike married Su Ann Heng in 2019. Their relationship later separated, and they have a son born in 2020. His career illustrates how the Kasem family’s entertainment connection extended beyond the United States.

Julie Elizabeth Kasem took a different route. She became a licensed physician assistant and developed professional interests connected with medicine, including palliative and hospice care. She has also spoken publicly about her father’s values, particularly his emphasis on education, humility, and kindness.

Julie is married to cardiologist Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, and they have children. Her medical career gives her public profile a markedly different character from those of her father, brother, and sister.

Linda’s Brief Connection to Hollywood and Later Work

Linda’s own entertainment career appears to have been short. She is credited with an acting appearance as Butch Officer #2 in the 1980 comedy film Up the Academy. Some secondary biographical descriptions have also characterized her as a singer.

The timing is interesting. Her credited film appearance came around the period when her marriage to Casey had ended and he was beginning his marriage to Jean Kasem. Rather than building a long Hollywood career, Linda moved toward a much quieter professional life.

Later records connect Linda Kasem Naylor with political fundraising and event planning. Her name appears in connection with political contribution records and self-employed event work in the Sacramento area. These details provide a small glimpse into her post-Hollywood life, but they do not amount to a comprehensive biography.

I find that distinction important. A person can have a recognizable family name without becoming a public figure themselves. Linda appears to have chosen that quieter path.

There is also no dependable public figure for Linda’s personal net worth. Casey Kasem’s estate was widely estimated at around $80 million when he died, but Linda and Casey had been divorced for decades. There is no reliable basis for treating his estate as an indication of Linda’s personal finances.

The Kasem Family Conflict and Linda’s Place in It

The later history of the Kasem family became far more public than Linda’s own life. Casey’s health declined during his final years, and his condition became associated with Parkinson’s disease and later Lewy body dementia. By 2013 and 2014, serious disputes had developed among family members concerning his care, location, visitation, and medical decisions.

The conflict largely centered on Casey’s adult children and his second wife, Jean Kasem. Kerri, Mike, and Julie became increasingly vocal about their concerns and their efforts to maintain contact with their father.

Linda was not generally portrayed as the central participant in the legal battles. Instead, she remained primarily identified as the mother of Casey’s three older children. That distinction matters because the Kasem family story can easily become dominated by the dramatic disputes surrounding Casey’s final months.

Casey died on June 15, 2014, at the age of 82. His death intensified legal and public disputes involving his family, estate, and care. Kerri subsequently transformed her personal experience into an organized campaign for elder rights.

Kerri Kasem and the Kasem Cares Legacy

Kerri’s advocacy became one of the most important public chapters in the family’s story. Through Kasem Cares, she has promoted awareness of elder abuse and pushed for laws that can give relatives a legal avenue to seek visitation with vulnerable adults.

The idea behind these measures is relatively straightforward. A family member should not necessarily have to seek full guardianship or conservatorship merely to ask a court for reasonable contact with an incapacitated loved one.

State laws differ, but many visitation measures address some combination of adult children, spouses, grandchildren, siblings, or other interested individuals. Courts may consider the elder’s wishes, previous relationships, safety concerns, and whether visitation would serve the person’s best interests.

California became particularly important in this story. Legislation associated with the Kasem experience strengthened protections involving visitation and communication for people under conservatorship. Later California legislation, including the 2024 Kasem-Nichols-Rooney Act, expanded notification protections surrounding significant changes affecting conservatees.

Other states have adopted their own approaches. Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Maryland, and Nebraska have all been associated with visitation protections or related reforms, although the exact legal mechanisms differ.

Kerri’s work gives the Kasem family story an unusual second life. What began as a painful family dispute became part of a larger conversation about aging, dignity, guardianship, family contact, and the rights of vulnerable adults.

Linda Myers Kasem’s Family Life Away From the Spotlight

Linda appears to have maintained contact with her children after her divorce from Casey. Linda’s family photos, including Kerri’s high school graduation, show her being close to the kids.

The three siblings also became more independent of their parents’ popularity. Kerri worked in media before advocating for elders. Mike became a successful Singaporean broadcaster. Julie separated herself from entertainment by studying medicine.

Casey’s voice was heard by millions of radio and TV listeners, but Linda’s narrative is different. Linda’s position was softer, domestic, and later private. Her influence may be traced through three children who became famous in different ways.

Linda’s daily life, later relationships, private interests, and extended family are not well documented. Public information about a later marriage or relationship with the surname Naylor is lacking. I’d be wary of her personal life speculating.

FAQ

Who was Linda Myers Kasem married to?

Linda Myers Kasem was married to radio personality and voice actor Casey Kasem. Their marriage is most commonly dated to 1972, with the divorce generally placed around 1979.

How many children did Linda Myers Kasem have?

Linda and Casey Kasem had three children: Kerri Kasem, Mike Kasem, and Julie Kasem.

Who is Kerri Kasem?

Kerri Kasem is a radio and television personality and an elder rights advocate. She founded Kasem Cares and became closely associated with campaigns against elder abuse and involuntary isolation of vulnerable adults.

What does Mike Kasem do?

Mike Kasem is a television presenter, actor, and radio personality. He became particularly prominent in Singapore after working as an MTV Asia VJ from 1994 through 1999 and later developing a radio career there.

What does Julie Kasem do?

Julie Kasem is a licensed physician assistant. Her professional background includes medical work and training connected with palliative and hospice care.

Did Linda Kasem have an acting career?

Linda had a limited acting career. She is credited as Butch Officer #2 in the 1980 comedy film Up the Academy. Some biographical descriptions have also identified her as a singer.

What happened to Casey Kasem’s family after his death?

After Casey died on June 15, 2014, disputes involving his adult children and his second wife, Jean Kasem, continued through legal and estate matters. Kerri also expanded her elder rights advocacy, making family visitation and protection of vulnerable adults central themes of her public work.

What is Linda Kasem known for today?

Linda is primarily known as Casey Kasem’s first wife and the mother of Kerri, Mike, and Julie Kasem. Her own public footprint remains limited, reflecting the private life she has maintained since her brief association with entertainment and her later professional work.