The request comes after the singer was diagnosed with dementia.
Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson’s longtime family representatives are petitioning to become his co-conservators, according to a petition filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The filing comes weeks after Wilson’s wife of 28 years, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, died suddenly on Jan. 30 at 77. Melinda Wilson was a talent manager who managed her husband’s daily affairs, and who he said was his “savior” and “anchor.”
The Wilson family confirms Brian Wilson will be put under a conservatorship
The petition requests a judge to appoint Jean Sievers and LeeAnn Hard — Wilson’s publicist and manager, respectively — as co-conservators of his person because the singer has been diagnosed with dementia. The filing notes, “Mr. Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.” The conservatorship is not over Wilson’s finances or estate because his assets are already in a trust, of which Hard is a trustee.
On Brian Wilson’s website and social media, his family posted a note confirming the decision. “This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family,” the statement explains.
It continues, “Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses.” Echoing this sentiment, Sievers told the NYT that as co-conservator, she would “ensure that all of Brian’s daily living needs are satisfied and he continues to lead an active life.”
What kind of dementia does Brian Wilson have?
While we don’t know what kind of dementia Brian Wilson was diagnosed with, Hard and Sievers told The Hollywood Reporter in a joint statement that he “is diagnosed with early stages of dementia.” His psychiatrist, Dr. Stephen S. Marmer, wrote in a declaration filed along with the petition that Wilson has “a major neurocognitive disorder” and that he is currently taking medication for dementia. Dr. Marmer noted that Wilson is incapable of self-administering his medication or adhering to his medication schedule.
Wilson struggled with mental illness throughout his career. In 1964, he suffered a nervous breakdown on a flight with his bandmates, which prompted him to take a step back from touring and focus on recording music. He was later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression, and has spoken about dealing with auditory hallucinations.
Wilson was first placed under a conservatorship in the ’90s
The Beach Boys singer was first placed under a conservatorship in the early 1990s when his family sought to extricate him from the overreaching influence of a psychologist. In 1975, after struggling with drug use and his mental health, Wilson was first put under the care of Eugene Landy, a controversial psychologist who ended up exerting undue control over Wilson’s life. (Landy and Wilson stopped working together until his dismissal in 1976, but Landy was rehired in 1983.)
Wilson was under Landy’s round-the-clock care, to the tune of $35,000 per month. Landy misdiagnosed Wilson with paranoid schizophrenia and his loved ones, including Melinda Ledbetter, were concerned he was overmedicated. Later, the psychologist became involved with Wilson’s business affairs and even went so far as to nab a few executive producer and co-writing credits on Wilson’s first solo album. At one point, Landy was named chief beneficiary in Wilson’s will and would’ve been set to receive 70 percent of his estate in the event of the singer’s death.
In 1991, Wilson’s family filed a conservatorship suit in order to remove Landy from his life, and also filed a restraining order against the psychologist. A year later, the Superior Court of Santa Monica barred Landy from being in contact with Wilson and appointed an independent conservator, Jerome Billet. In 1995, Wilson sued Billet for more than $10 million, alleging he mishandled a lawsuit between himself and fellow Beach Boy Mike Love. The same year, Wilson married Melinda Ledbetter and she became his conservator. Melinda had an Advanced Care Directive that named her the “agent” of Wilson’s health care up until the time of her death, and because a successor was not listed in the directive, the family asked the court to appoint Sievers and Hard as co-conservators.
According to the Feb. 2024 filing, Hard and Sievers “have had a close relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson for many years, and Mr. Wilson trusts them.” A hearing on the petition is scheduled for late April. Wilson’s doctor has said the singer would be unable to attend.
