Is There Foul Play?

A family torn.

John Allen Amos, Jr. was found dead in August. The junk food media reported his passing on Monday. His family just found out like everyone else.

Several of his family members question why it took 45 days to announce his passing.

Amy Goudy, whom The Hollywood Reporter confirmed as the actor’s goddaughter, shared a joint statement with John's daughter, Shannon Amos, and his granddaughter, brother, niece, and others.

The famed actor passed away at 84. 

The family slam K.C. for keeping them isolated from John. They also believe he was a victim of abuse and extortion.

"The Amos family is grieving the loss of their father, John Amos, who they believe was neglected, isolated, and potentially abused in his final days. They were unaware of his death until they learned about it in the news, 45 days after it occurred," the message read. "[He] was reportedly under the control of his son, K.C. Amos, who prevented family members from contacting him and monitored his communications. The family suspects that K.C. may have taken advantage of John's dementia to manipulate him and potentially benefit financially from his death."

The statement continued, "The family is seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding John's death and is concerned that K.C. may have had him cremated without their knowledge to avoid any investigation. They are also questioning why no medical professionals, coroner, or authorities informed them of his passing." Goudy also claimed that several attempts were made to get in contact with John over concerns of possible elder abuse.

The statement closed, "We refuse to rule out the possibility of foul play, especially given the involvement of two individuals, Eugene Brummer and Belinda Foster... 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."

As REVOLT previously reported, K.C. shared a statement revealing that his father transitioned back in August. Hours later, Shannon stated that she wasn't made aware of John's death until it was announced by the media.

Amos was best known for his roles in Good Times, Roots, Coming to America, The Players Club, Men In Trees, The West Wing and All About The Andersons. 

Amos was a veteran of the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard and Honorary Master Chief of the United States Coast Guard. He was married twice. His first marriage, from 1965 to 1975, was to artist and equestrian Noel Mickelson and they had two children: Shannon Amos, a writer/producer and founder of Afterglow Multimedia, LLC, and Grammy-nominated director K.C. Amos. The acrimonious relationship between Shannon and K.C. over care given to their parents was documented by The Hollywood Reporter.

His second marriage, in 1978–79, was to actress Lillian Lehman. He lived for many years in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey. In 2018, he moved to Westcliffe southwest of Pueblo, Colorado. In 2023, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation looked into accusations of elder abuse. In the same year, he left Colorado taking up residency in Los Angeles.

Amos died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles on August 21, 2024, at the age of 84. His death was not announced until October 1, 2024.