John Amos wanted the announcement of his passing to be delayed so his daughter couldn't "turn his death... into a circus".
The late ‘Good Times’ actor’s son Kelly Christopher 'K.C.' Amos announced on Tuesday (01.10.24) his father passed away aged 84 on 21 August in Los Angeles, and a day later, his sister Shannon - who accused her sibling of elder abuse of their dad last year - claimed she had only found out about the loss through the media.
And now John's long-term publicist, Belinda Foster, has claimed the actor had urged his son not to announce his death immediately because of the fraught family situation.
She said in a statement shared by People magazine: "Over the years, [John and I] grew close to one another to the point of a familial relationship. In the last few years, he often referred to me as his 'daughter.' This was not a fraud by John, K.C., or myself. He was like a father to me. I deeply mourn his passing.
"Shannon's claims that John was abused are false. K.C., Eugene and I, along with numerous others cared for him. On several occasions when Shannon claimed that he was abused, law enforcement authorities sat with John and confirmed his well being...
"At the time of John's passing, K.C. was under a strict no-contact order from the Superior Court of New Jersey based on the Complaint that his sister Shannon brought against him in 2023.
"As a condition of his Pretrial Release, K.C. is precluded from making any contact with Shannon directly or indirectly by phone, social media, or any method of communication.
"At the time of his death, John was concerned that Shannon might turn his death and interment into a circus as she had done with other aspects of his life."
"It was John who requested the delay in announcing his death to Shannon and the rest of the world."
The publicist's comments come shortly after John's "collective family and close friends", including Shannon and the actor's goddaughter Amy Goudy, issued a statement on Facebook in which they questioned K.C.'s treatment of his father in his final days and claimed they were suspicious after he failed to notify the rest of the family about the 'Roots' star's death.
John's death certificate showed he died of congestive heart failure and he was cremated on 30 August, but the family statement alleged they feared he was "likely cremated to avoid any potential investigation into the conditions surrounding his final days."
They claimed the circumstances of John's death "mirrors" that of Shannon and K.C.'s mother's death and alleged Shannon "fought to be by her mother's side" after her brother prevented family from being "present and making decisions together."
They implied K.C. had acted in order to "alter potential wills and collect life insurance or other benefits", citing alleged past struggles with addiction, mental health issues and a previous arrest record.
They added: "While we mourn the loss of our beloved father, we are also saddened and outraged by K.C. Amos's actions.
"We refuse to rule out the possibility of foul play, especially given the involvement of two individuals, Eugene Brummer and Belinda Foster (who claims to have been John's spokesperson), who we believe may have taken advantage of his vulnerability as an elder.
"At a time when we should be grieving and celebrating our father's remarkable life, we find ourselves in the unfortunate position of seeking justice and clarity."
In her response, Belinda said she was "sorry that Shannon has chosen this path, but consistent with John's approach, I will respond to her with firmness but compassion."
She added: "John loved Shannon but she was a difficult child to the point that John had to order that an unauthorized 'GoFundMe' page that she put up in June 2023 be shut down.
"For those concerned with John's state of mind, I should note that John had interviews with PEOPLE Magazine, Variety Magazine, Hollywood Reporter, and acted in SUITS LA all recently in 2024. Medical authorities have interviewed him in the last year and found him to be mentally sound.
"For the sake of preserving John's well-earned reputation as a superb actor and a community activist, we hope we can put to rest these nonsensical claims that Shannon is offering out of her own pain as a result of estrangement from her father."
