John Amos' 'Good Times' Costar BernNadette Stanis Offers Support amid Elder Abuse Claims and the 'Tug of War' Between His Kids

"Individuals hurting — that's what I think is going on," Stanis tells PEOPLE exclusively

BernNadette Stanis, who starred in Good Times with John Amos, is hoping for a peaceful resolution amid the elder abuse claims John made regarding his daughter, Shannon Amos.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Stanis cited the difficulties of caring for an aging parent.

"John knows I love him from the core of my heart," The Family Business actress says. "His children were lovely and have always been lovely. It just happened so that when you have a parent that you have to take care of or they're aging, there's a lot of fear amongst the siblings because you don't know — it's the first time and maybe the only parent. It hurts."

The elder abuse claims stem from John's daughter, Shannon, who posted to Instagram on June 8th claiming her dad was in bad shape and she had reported the possible crime to Colorado authorities. The Colorado Bureau of Investigations confirmed to PEOPLE they were vetting the claim. But, since then, a video of John speaking on the phone from a hospital bed, circulated by his son K.C., accused Shannon of elder abuse.

Stanis, 69, believes words exchanged among the family members may have been misconstrued, with disagreements blowing "a little out of proportion."

"So I think that sometimes things are said, and things are misunderstood because you're going through so much or they're going through stuff, so it hurts you," she says. "And I think a lot of times, siblings, you know, they may fight amongst themselves. Or they may not agree with what one sibling is doing over the other sibling."

Related: John Amos Says He's 'Doing Well' as He Accuses His Daughter of Elder Abuse (Exclusive)

The actress and author thinks the 83-year-old actor's son, K.C., is "doing a great job" by helping him stay active on Instagram, where he's able to keep his fans updated.

"John's happy to see it," she says. "I don't understand the Shannon thing or what's going on with it, but she's the oldest and sometimes the oldest feels like they should be in control. But K.C. is the boy, so it could be a tug of war, a little bit like that."

Stanis says John, whom she considers "a wonderful parent," looks to be in good health.

"[He] looks fabulous every time I see him. The kids are fine," she says.

"He's taking care of his children," she continues. "And he has to understand that they're both sad that their parent is in the hospital. Sometimes feelings come up, and things are said that don't mean anything. Individuals hurting, you know. That's what I think is going on. I think everything will be settled."

Related: 'Good Times' ' John Amos Makes Surprise Appearance on 'Live in Front of a Studio Audience ' Special

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K.C.'s video was posted to Instagram on June 15th and shows John claiming he suffered "elderly abuse" at the hands of Shannon after she filed a complaint alleging her father was the victim of various crimes: neglect, financial exploitation, and elder abuse. At the time, Shannon said that the purported victimization was "believed to be perpetrated by a trusted caregiver."

“On May 14th, I would receive a distressing call: from my dad, sharing that he was hospitalized in Memphis, Tennessee, in immense pain,” she wrote in the June 8th Instagram post. “Despite being out of the country, I arranged for help to reach him. ICU revealed his life hanging by a thread.”

Shannon continued, “The past two weeks shattered our world. My dad, a victim of elder abuse and financial exploitation. We are collaborating with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations and local authorities, determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. Legal assistance is crucial to ensure their prosecution and protect my father's future. His home, stripped bare, necessitates a safe space for his return.”

Shannon also set up a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising $500,000 for "legal, medical, future housing, and care expenses" for her father.

“She would be the primary suspect — if you would,” John claimed in the video filmed from his hospital bed. “I don’t know if that’s the right term to use or not. But she’s the one that I would attribute my elderly abuse to. It’s definitely a case of elderly abuse."

"To all of my fans, I want to share this video with you to show you that I am not in the distressed condition as described in the GoFundMe page," John told PEOPLE exclusively of the video. "As a matter of fact, I am doing well."

John claimed he was not in the ICU. "Nor was I ever fighting for my life," he said.

"First, I want the GoFundMe campaign about me to stop immediately and the funds subsequently returned to those who made donations," he added. "My son and I will reveal more information at the appropriate time."

According to the phone call from the hospital bed in the video, John said he was hospitalized because he "was suffering from water retention and a couple of other issues — all of which have been corrected, or at least addressed."

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