John Amos' Final Wish Was a Delay in Death Announcement to Avoid Daughter Turning It 'into a Circus,' Says Rep (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

John Amos' family members and close friends are speaking out about the circumstances behindhis deathat 84.

On Oct. 2, the late actor’s “collective family and close friends,” including his daughter Shannon Amos and goddaughter Amy Goudy, issued a statement onFacebookabout his death and called out his son Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos for his alleged treatment of his father in his final days. They also claimed K.C. failed to notify the rest of the family about John’s death, which they felt was suspicious.

Shortly after the message made headlines, Belinda Foster, John’s longtime publicist, who was also named in Goudy’s statement, refuted those claims in an exclusive statement shared with PEOPLE.

“Shannon’s claims that John was abused are false,” Foster continued. “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.”

John Amos.Craig Barritt/Getty

Craig Barritt/Getty

“He was a loving man who brought light into the lives of many. However, our family only learned of his death today through media reports, only to discover he actually passed away 45 days ago,” the statement alleged. They also claimed that they were “not notified” and the tragic news of his death has left them “in shock and heartache.”

Without a death certificate in their possession, they claimed they didn’t know “where or why he died” but were aware he was “suffering from congestive heart failure and dementia.” They said they “fear he was likely cremated to avoid any potential investigation into the conditions surrounding his final days.”

John Amos, Shannon Amos, and K.C. Amos at the 1st Annual “A Celebration of Heroes” Power Heroes Gala on December 3, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.Brian To/FilmMagic

Brian To/FilmMagic

John Amos and Esther Rolle on ‘Good Times’.CBS Photo Archive/Getty

CBS Photo Archive/Getty

Also in Goudy’s statement, they alleged that K.C., Eugene Brummet and Foster “isolated the actor from his loved ones despite their repeated attempts to maintain contact.” They further claimed that K.C. “prevented access to him, controlled and monitored his calls” as well as severed ties with family including Shannon, his brother Leslie Franklin, his accountant, business manager and more.

“K.C. portrayed an image of a close father-son relationship on social media, but the reality was far more complex,” they continued, alleging that K.C. gave him verbal prompts to create a false “narrative” on social media. “We were deeply concerned that our father may have been neglected and isolated during his final days as we received photos from concerned neighbors and a medical professional.”

In Foster’s statement, she addressed the claims that K.C. failed to notify the family about his death, saying, “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.”

“It was John who requested the delay in announcing his death to Shannon and the rest of the world,” Foster added.

(L) K.C. and his father John Amos.Courtesy of John and K.C. Amos

Courtesy of John and K.C. Amos

Goudy cited the 2023 investigation into John’s care that was prompted when Shannon alleged he was a“victim of elder abuse." At the time, Shannonfiled a complaint with the Colorado Bureau of Investigationandcreated a GoFundMe pagefor “care expenses,” which she later removed at his request. (John later spoke out to PEOPLE, calling the claims of elder abuse“false and unmerited.”)

“The family also questions why no medical professionals, coroner, or authorities informed us of his passing, and why K.C. did not notify any family member directly,” their statement continued. “We believe there are critical questions that need answers, especially since we believe K.C. likely made the decision to have John Amos cremated without the family’s knowledge.”

John Amos and daughter Shannon during Cure Autism Now Celebrates Third Annual “Acts of Love” - After Party.J.Sciulli/WireImage

J.Sciulli/WireImage

Goudy’s statement indicated that they suspect that K.C.’s actions were taken to “alter potential wills and collect life insurance or other benefits” while alleging his previous struggles with addiction, mental health issues and a previous arrest record.

“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,” the statement concluded.

In Foster’s statement, she said while she plans on continuing to “represent my clients with enthusiasm and skill” as a “professional publicist,” she feels “sorry that Shannon has chosen this path, but consistent with John’s approach, I will respond to her with firmness but compassion.““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,” she said. “For those concerned with John’s state of mind, I should note that John had interviews withPEOPLE Magazine,Variety Magazine,Hollywood Reporter, and acted inSUITS LAall recently in 2024. Medical authorities have interviewed him in the last year and found him to be mentally sound.”

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Foster concluded, “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.”

PEOPLE has reached out to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, who said there “are no updates or statements” in regards to reopening John’s elder abuse case at this time.

source: people.com