Tim Conway (Getty)
Tim Conway is recovering from brain surgery as his daughter and second wife fight in court over his care, Fox News learned Monday.
The “Carol Burnett Show” star’s daughter, Kelly Conway, revealed that a Los Angeles court has decided a permanent conservatorship of the actor will be appointed in November.
Kelly and her stepmother Charlene Conway each want sole conservatorship over the 84-year-old, who is suffering from dementia.
“My brothers and I would like to thank the overwhelming support for my dad from fans all over the world that are contacting me via phone, email and social media,” Kelly told Fox News in a statement. “It lifts my brothers and me up to know that so many people love him.
Actor Tim Conway, wife Charlene Fusco and daughter Kelly Conway being photoraphed on August 9, 1983 at Chasen's Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty)
"My brothers and I are hoping that the trial in November will settle this once and for all and that I will be granted conservatorship of my dad, whom my brothers and I love with all of our hearts.”
“The reason I am trying to get conservatorship is to make sure that my dad continues to have the best care and be given proper medical attention and that he can live his life to the fullest,” she continued. “The person making decisions for his care must be competent. There are others that surround him that have only their best interest at heart and not my dad’s. That’s why I want to be the one in charge of his care.”
Kelly claimed she was banned from visiting the beloved patriarch as the trial continued.
“As far as how my dad is doing today? I don’t know, I was denied access to his room last night and today,” she claimed. “My heart is broken and I am very concerned for my visitation schedule has been very limited this past year. I want to see my dad daily, but I am being blocked. No child young or older should be kept from seeing their mom or dad by their stepparent.”
MyNewsLA.com reported a Los Angeles judge denied Kelly’s petition to be appointed as her father’s conservator, finding that her concerns about Charlene’s medical decisions regarding her father are moot for now, as he’s been hospitalized since Sept. 3.
A rep for Kelly did not provide further details on Conway’s surgery.
Tim Conway (left) with Bob Newhart in 2005. (Getty)
In late August, Kelly's rep told Fox News she received a temporary restraining order to stop his current wife’s plans to move the ailing comic from his current medical facility.
“My brothers and I are extremely happy that the plan to move our dad by his wife has been temporarily stopped by a court order today,” wrote Kelly at the time. “We are grateful to the judge for taking this matter seriously by considering all the evidence before making a decision. We appreciate the overwhelming support and love we have received from my dad’s friends and fans.”
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Kelly was seeking a temporary restraining order to stop Charlene from moving Conway to a lesser medical facility.
Kelly alleged Charlene was “planning to move him out of the excellent skilled nursing facility he is currently at” and place him into a lesser-quality home. She claimed her father cannot “properly provide for his personal needs or physical health, food and clothing” and is “almost entirely unresponsive.”
In the documents, Kelly said her father has his own private room and a caregiver who has been assisting him in the last two years and attends to his needs 24 hours a day. She argued that moving Conway to “a facility without skilled nurses on staff in his current condition would be harmful to his health and life.”
Conway’s “various medical conditions put him at risk of being a subject of medical emergencies,” she added.
Kelly also alleged Charlene’s attempt to move Conway to an “inferior” facility run “contrary to his special, personal and medical needs.”
In court documents obtained by People Magazine, Michael Harris, who was appointed to protect Conway’s interest during the ongoing feud between daughter and stepmother, also said the comedian is “unable to communicate” and is “suffering from fluid on the brain.”
“He showed no ability or willingness to talk and no apparent sign that he comprehended the nature of the Conservatorship or any of my statements to him,” alleged Harris. He added Charlene is “obviously devoted” to her husband.
“She informed me that her motivation was to work with Jeffrey Cummings MD, a renowned neurologist who is trying to deal with Mr. Conway’s past brain surgeries involving a shunt that failed and later a valve procedure to correct his neurological problems,” Harris explained.
“Her concern now is for Mr. Conway to receive proper physical therapy so that he can better improve neurologically. It is my present belief that Mrs. Conway, my client’s wife, is an adequate and appropriate steward of her husband’s well-being and that her motives regarding Mr. Conway are in his best interest.”
Harris also said Charlene denied Kelly’s claim that she is planning to move him out of his current nursing facility.
USA Today also reported Charlene denied she had planned to move Conway. She asked the court to reject Kelly’s conservatorship request, arguing she is already seeing to her husband’s needs.
Charlene noted Conway signed power-of-attorney and health care directives designating her as his caregiver.
Conway had zero experience when he first embarked on his journey to Hollywood. His first credited role was 1964’s “McHale’s Navy” as Ensign Charles Parker.
He continued working in both film and television before he made his mark in “The Carol Burnett Show” as various beloved characters, including the Oldest Man and Mr. Tudball from 1975 until 1978. He won a Golden Globe Award for “Best Supporting Actor.”
Conway, who was a frequent guest, ultimately became a regular in later seasons by popular demand.
Conway continued acting and even voiced the character of Barnacle Boy on the animated series “Spongebob Squarepants.” He made a special appearance on the second season of “30 Rock,” which earned him an Emmy.
Some of his other TV credits include guest appearances on hit shows, such as “Married … With Children,” “Mad About You,” “Glee” and “Two and a Half Men,” to name a few.
His last credited role was that of Dorf, a diminutive Scandinavian from a series of satirical how-to videos, in the 2016 comedy “Chip and Bernie Save Christmas with Dorf.”
Throughout his reign in entertainment, Conway has won six Emmys.
“My ambition was to be a jockey, but at my weight, even the horses were asking me to get off,” Conway joked on his website. “I have seven children, two grandchildren and a puppy. I have been married since 1984, a record for Hollywood.”
Charlene is Conway’s second wife. The couple tied the knot in 1984.
Trending
