The inside story of radio legend Casey Kasem's grim final years

Veteran producer Aliza Rosen and her content company AYR Media have teamed up with Audible Inc. to create Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem, an original anthology podcast docuseries revealing the inside story behind the lawsuit and elder abuse allegations surrounding the death of radio legend and American entertainment icon Casey Kasem.

Featuring and executive produced by Casey’s daughter, Kerri Kasem, above, along with Rosen, all eight episodes of Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem will launch exclusively on Audible on Tuesday, June 15, the anniversary of Kasem’s death – also Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The new podcast is the first project through AYR Media’s overall deal with Audible. Several other Audible Originals from AYR will be releasing in 2021, including a harrowing docuseries with the first wife and daughters of “Dirty John” Meehan, and a true-crime series investigating the bizarre events connected to the murder of D.C. attorney Robert Wone and the “thrupple” linked to the crime. These podcasts will debut this summer and fall, respectively, while additional projects are in development.

Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem is narrated by actor and longtime Kasem family friend Martin Kove (Netflix’s Cobra Kai). The docuseries features first-hand accounts from Casey’s daughter Kerri Kasem, close friend Mike Curb and protégé Ryan Seacrest, among others close to the family, revealing shocking insights into the events preceding Kasem’s passing and the eventual wrongful death lawsuit filed by his three eldest children and his brother, against Kasem’s widow, Cheers and Ghostbusters actress Jean Kasem. The lawsuit was settled in December 2019, and Bitter Blood will reveal an abundance of evidence and testimony prepared for that trial that has never been seen or heard.

In addition to Bitter Blood and AYR’s work with Audible, Rosen’s production company has multiple premium podcasts launching on other outlets in 2021, as well as series in development for television and streaming, including an adaptation of Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem.

Said Rosen, “Our upcoming projects with Audible exemplify the type of content I launched AYR to create: compelling, headline-grabbing storytelling with undeniable crossover appeal. For Bitter Blood, I’m excited for listeners to dive into this twisted tale, and for those closest to Casey to finally have the space to share their story and honor his legacy.”

“This is everything the public would have heard if we had a trial,” added Kerri Kasem. “Listeners will hear from me, but ‘Bitter Blood’ also includes a wide range of never-before-heard eyewitness accounts, including the depositions from the doctors, caretakers and staff who were with my father in his final days. I’m proud to be part of this in-depth series that will expose the ugly reality and raise awareness for elder abuse, while also honoring my dad’s incredible life and career.”

AYR Media is repped by Innovative Artists.