Kisha Smith
Actor John Amos is speaking out following publicized reports from his daughter that he had been the victim of elder abuse that he had been hospitalized and was fighting for his life.
“On May 14th of this year, I received a distressing call from my dad, who was hospitalized far away in Memphis, Tennessee,” she wrote. “Though I was out of the country, we managed a brief FaceTime conversation before his pain became too unbearable. Desperate, I reached out to a family friend, who flew to Memphis while I prepared to join them. What we found shattered our world: my dad fighting for his life in the ICU.
During the following weeks, my family and I unraveled a horrifying truth—my dad had fallen victim to elder abuse and financial exploitation. Determined to seek justice, we a are working closely with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations and the local Sheriff’s Department in my father’s home state.”
His daughter, Shannon Amos, further claimed that her Dad was in need of financial help and that she had set up a gofundme account to pay for his care.
Last week, however, the 83-year-old actor—best known for his roles in “Good Times”, “Coming To America” and “Roots”— told TMZ that the details laid out by his daughter were a lie and that no one was abusing him. He also refuted the claims in a statement to People Magazine.
“To all of my fans, I want you to know that I am doing well. I am not in ICU, nor was I ever fighting for my life,” the statement read. “First, I want the GoFundMe campaign about me to stop immediately and the funds subsequently returned to those who made donations. My son and I will reveal more information at the appropriate time.” As of June 14, over 300 people had donated $13,221 to the gofundme account