Late 'Good Times' Star John Amos Was a Two-Time Husband and Father Before His Death at 84
John's two children had a tumultuous relationship.
Published Oct. 1 2024, 3:51 p.m. ET
On Oct. 1, 2024, it was announced that successful Roots and Coming to America star John Amos had passed away months earlier. At the time of his death, John was 84 years old and best known for his beloved roles in projects such as Good Times, in which he portrayed TV dad James Evans Sr.
However, he wasn't just a father and husband on the small screen — throughout his life, John was married twice and fathered two children. And unlike on TV, it seems that his son and daughter weren't exactly a happy family. In fact, one incident occurring in 2023 led to John's son being arrested after sending "terroristic" threats to his sister.
Let's take a look at John's dysfunctional family.
John Amos and his daughter, Shannon Amos
John Amos was married twice before his death.
During his life, actor and philanthropist John Amos was married twice. His first wife was artist and equestrian Noel Mickelson, and the pair were married from 1965 to 1975. Their ten-year marriage also brought forth John's only two children, editor and director K.C. Amos and wellness creator Shannon Amos.
The relationship ended in divorce, and Noel reportedly never married after her relationship with John.
The same can't be said for John himself, though, as he entered another short-lived marriage just three years after his first divorce. Indeed, his marriage to General Hospital actress Lillian Lehman was his second and final, and it only lasted for around a year. The two divorced in 1979.
It's unclear whether John was in any sort of romantic relationship at the time of his passing, though he seems to have been effectively single.
John's two kids, K.C. and Shannon Amos, have had a complicated relationship.
It's no secret — though John may have preferred for it to be one — that his two famous children, K.C. and Shannon, haven't always gotten along. Well documented by The Hollywood Reporter, the two siblings have often fought over their father's attention, love, and side in the spotlight, and John has "toggled his trust between his offspring while making clear he loves them both."
As previously mentioned, an incident in 2023 saw K.C. in jail after sending a text message to his sister, Shannon, that she saw as a "terroristic threat." Reportedly, it was a photo of a rifle with a caption stating that it “can clean a turkey out from three football fields away," per THR. This certainly wasn't their first publicized squabble, with reports of elder abuse (in regards to their father) being hurled at both of them from the other for years.
Shannon Amos, a former media executive-turned-health and wellness expert, was featured heavily on her father's social media accounts until his death, with selfies and photos of the two of them dotting his feed. Previously, he was often spotted hanging out and traveling with his son, which was documented on K.C.'s TikTok account.
However, at the time of his death, one of John's most popular Instagram posts, tagged at the top of his page, was a touching TikTok duet featuring both of his kids.
