John Amos Reportedly Requested Delay in Death Announcement to Avoid 'Circus'
Days after Good Times star John Amos' family announced that they wanted to look into the circumstances surrounding his passing, the actor's longtime publicist wants to set the record straight.
Amos was pronounced dead on Aug. 21 after suffering from congestive heart failure. News of his death wasn't made public until Oct. 1, over a month after his passing. His son, Kelly Christopher Amos, who goes by K.C., was listed as an "informant" on his death certificate and is currently in possession of his father's cremated remains.
The actor's goddaughter, Amy Goudy, released a statement on Facebook saying his family fears "he was likely cremated to avoid any potential investigation into the conditions surrounding his final days."
She also says that Amos "was isolated from his family and close friends by Kelly "KC" Amos, Eugene Brummet and Belinda Foster."
Goudy says the family was also hurt by the delay in receiving the news. "The family also questions why no medical professionals, coroner, or authorities informed us of his passing, and why KC did not notify any family member directly," she writes. "We believe there are critical questions that need answers, especially since we believe KC likely made the decision to have John Amos cremated without the family’s knowledge. We suspect these actions may have been taken to alter potential wills and collect life insurance or other benefits. This is made even more concerning by KC's struggles with addiction and mental health issues, as well as his previous arrests."
According to Amos' publicist, Foster, there was a reason he was not in contact with his family. "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," she told PEOPLE.
Foster also hints at potential tension between Amos and his daughter which caused the delay in information, saying, "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," she added.
In 2023, Shannon raised concerns that her father was a victim of elder abuse and financial exploitation after he was hospitalized. She set up a GoFundMe with a $500k goal to cover his expenses. Amos later told TMZ that the claims were false and he disapproved of the crowdfund.
He then claimed she was responsible for the elder abuse , saying over the phone, "She would be the primary suspect—if you would. 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."
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