Casey Kasem Is in Critical Condition

Iconic radio personality Casey Kasem is in critical condition at a Washington State hospital.

“Mr. Kasem is alert and appears comfortable at this time,” Scott Thompson, a spokesman for St. Anthony Hospital, told CNN in a written statement.

The 82-year-old retired host of the weekly Top 40 countdown has Lewy body disease, a serious form of dementia.

His admittance into the western Washington hospital was overshadowed by a showdown — in front of cameras — between his wife Jean Kasem and his eldest daughter from a previous marriage, Kerri Kasem.

Kasem’s daughter and her brother earlier arrived at his home with paramedics, demanding that he be admitted to a hospital.

They have been involved with his wife in a bitter legal battle over visitation rights and right of attorney. Jean Kasem has prevented Kasem’s children from his first marriage from visiting the radio host.

In May, a Washington judge granted Kerri Kasem temporary visitation rights of one hour per day and directed that her father be examined by a doctor. Kasem’s wife was also ordered to hand in his passport and was temporarily forbidden to travel anywhere with him without a court order.

[CNN]