Legendary actor John Amos has been hospitalized and embroiled in a family scandal, but now he’s speaking out on the controversy. According to TMZ, on May 14, the 83-year-old actor was hospitalized and his daughter, Shannon Amos, alleged that he was a victim of “elder abuse.” However, the outlet recently spoke with John who says he is not being abused.
The Good Times star told TMZ that “the details laid out by his daughter Shannon Amos are a lie...no one is abusing him and he hasn’t been fighting for his life.” His rep, Belinda Foster, revealed that John was hospitalized because “his lower body was filling with fluid, all the way to his abdomen, and causing issues with his heart.” Foster added that “doctors have been able to drain all of it, and John’s recently started to feel 100 [percent].”
TMZ’s initial report states that Shannon claims her father called her from the hospital and they spoke briefly before his pain became too much. She then reveals that the family discovered the Coming to America star “had fallen victim to elder abuse and financial exploitation.” Shannon didn’t give details on the situation, but did say that “his home had been violated, stripped of anything valuable.”
After revealing the alleged elder abuse, Shannon set up “a GoFundMe with a $500,000 goal,” explaining “the money will be used for John’s care, legal fees, and aftercare.” John told the outlet “he’s got no idea” why his daughter started the GoFundMe. Following her father’s statements to TMZ, Shannon responded in an Instagram post—which appears to have since been deleted—that there is “another side” to the story and she is “not crazy,” as there is an open investigation with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations.
Let’s start by celebrating the good news that John Amos is getting better and dealing with issues that led to his hospitalization. And about the rest, I truly hope he is not a victim of elder abuse. Caregivers who take advantage of senior citizens are the lowest of the low. The fact that he says he’s not and his daughter started a mysterious GoFundMe all seems extremely messy, so chances are this won’t have a happy ending for the family. We just need to pray that an artist who’s brought so much joy and game-changing representation to our lives gets to enjoy some peace and dignity in his golden years.