John Amos' daughter speaks out against her brother amid elder abuse investigation
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The daughter of actor John Amos says that her brother no longer has the authority to make medical decisions for their father, who was recently hospitalized.
On Friday, Shannon Amos issued a press release defending herself and speaking out against her brother, K.C. Amos, as the Custer County Sheriff's Office in Colorado continues to investigate allegations of "elder abuse" involving their 83-year-old father.
Shannon Amos previously claimed on Instagram that John Amos was "a victim of elder abuse and financial exploitation."
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“My priority has always been the safety, stability, and well-being of my father,” Shannon Amos said Friday in a statement provided to The Times.
“Removing Mr. Kelly K.C. Amos as medical power of attorney is an important step in the healing of my father and family. While I had hoped that this family matter could remain private, recent allegations accusing me of elder abuse and other false statements have forced me to take legal action."
K.C. Amos did not immediately respond Sunday to The Times' request for comment.
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In addition to announcing that her brother is no longer acting as the medical power of attorney for their father — "who is now recovering under the care of other family members" — a rep for Shannon Amos said she has filed a cease and desist against K.C. Amos "to demand that he stop making false statements on public platforms which have caused defamation to her reputation and harm to her business."
The press release also notes that — while "an active investigation is currently underway" in Colorado — Shannon Amos "did not publicly name ... K.C. Amos as a suspect, despite his reaction as such."
"My family and I continue to be united in the recovery of my father and I hope this matter will be resolved soon through the proper authorities," Shannon Amos said.
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Much of the uncertainty surrounding John Amos' health and well-being stems from a June 8 Instagram post in which Shannon Amos claimed that her father's life was "hanging by a thread" after he had allegedly been placed in an intensive care unit in Memphis, Tenn. She leveled the "elder abuse" and "financial exploitation" allegations in the same post.
At the time, Shannon Amos also encouraged her Instagram followers to donate to "a trust fund" she had set up for her father through GoFundMe.
Later that day, however, the former "Good Times" star told TMZ that he was not in the ICU, his life was not in danger and he was not suffering from abuse. The "Roots" alum said he didn't know why his daughter had launched a GoFundMe campaign for him.
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In a phone conversation with The Times earlier this month, John Amos' longtime publicist, Belinda Foster, echoed that the veteran actor was doing just fine. She said that her client was in the hospital recovering well after doctors successfully drained some fluid from his lower body.
"He said to let everyone know he is with his son and he is OK," Foster told The Times. "They are going to share more information at the appropriate time.”
Meanwhile, K.C. Amos has been discrediting his sister with social media posts reiterating that her GoFundMe campaign was "not authorized" by their father. He also shared a video on June 15 of John Amos in a hospital bed telling someone over the phone that he has had "ongoing issues" with his daughter.
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Shannon Amos "has taken advantage of me," John Amos says in the video. "She's one that I would attribute my elderly [sic] abuse to."
John Amos states in the same clip that all of his previous medical issues "had been corrected, or at least addressed" and that he is "confident in the doctors" who have been caring for him.
On Monday, a spokesperson for GoFundMe confirmed in a statement provided to The Times that the fundraising platform had removed Shannon Amos' campaign "upon being informed that Mr. Amos wished to decline the funds raised on his behalf."
"All funds remained safely held by payment processors during our review and all donors have now been refunded," the spokesperson said.
As for the Colorado investigation, the Custer County Sheriff's Office confirmed June 9 in a press release that it was looking into an allegation indicating that John Amos "could be a victim of a crime" — with the words "could be" emphasized in bold type.
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While the state of Colorado does not have a specific charge for elder abuse, the sheriff's office said that crimes commonly committed against the elderly include criminal negligence, assault, robbery, theft, caretaker neglect, sexual assault and exploitation.
“Mr. Amos has been a beloved member of our community for many years,” the Custer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“We want to send our well wishes to Mr. Amos and hope that he has a speedy recovery.”
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which is collaborating with the Custer County Sheriff's Office on the John Amos case, told The Times there were no updates as of Sunday afternoon.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
