Following reports that certain family members didn’t find out about John Amos’ death until it was announced publicly, a rep for the late actor is revealing that admission was intentional.
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Amos, best known for his iconic role as James Evans Sr. on Good Times, died in Los Angeles on Aug. 21 at the age of 84 due to natural causes. Despite passing away in August, his death wasn’t publicly announced until Oct. 1, when his son, K.C., confirmed it to The Hollywood Reporter.
As fans mourned the loss, it was revealed that K.C.’s sister, Shannon Amos, only found out about her father’s death through the media.
“I am without words… Our family has received the heartbreaking news that my Dad, John Allen Amos, Jr., transitioned on August 21st,” Shannon wrote in an Instagram post. “We are heartbroken and still trying to understand how this could happen 45 days ago, only to find out through the media like so many others.”
Now, more information about the delay has been revealed, with a longtime rep for Amos insisting his death being announced later was intentional–even including the omission of his daughter.
On Oct. 2, the late actor’s “collective family and close friends” issued a statement on Facebook about his death, calling out Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos for his alleged treatment of his father in his final days. They also claimed K.C. failed to notify the rest of the family about John’s death, which made them suspicious.
After that message made headlines, Belinda Foster, John’s longtime publicist, fired back at those claims in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
“I represented John Amos for over 30 years as his publicist of record,” Foster began. “The media knows this along with John’s agencies of record. Over the years we grew close to one another to the point of a familial relationship. In the last few years, he often referred to me as his ‘daughter.’ This was not a fraud by John, K.C., or myself. He was like a father to me. I deeply mourn his passing.”
“Shannon’s claims that John was abused are false,” She continued. “K.C. and I and numerous others cared for him. On several occasions when Shannon claimed that he was abused, law enforcement authorities sat with John and confirmed his well being.”
In Foster’s statement, she also addressed the claims that K.C. failed to notify the family about his death, saying, “At the time of John’s passing, K.C. was under a strict no-contact order from the Superior Court of New Jersey based on the Complaint that his sister Shannon brought against him in 2023.”
The statement continues: “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. 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,” Foster said.
