Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson and wife Melinda Ledbetter Wilson are pictured at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards in 2016. A judge on Thursday agreed to place Wilson, who suffers from dementia, in a conservatorship run by his management team. His wife had been managing his personal and medical affairs until her death in January. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
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May 9 (UPI) — A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Thursday placed Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson in a conservatorship following the death of his wife.
The 81-year-old musician’s longtime publicistJean Sievers and manager LeeAnn Hard will oversee the conservatorship, to which Wilson reportedly gave his consent.
Superior Court Judge May approved to the arrangement after reviewing evidence from Wilson’s doctor that he suffers from a “major neurocognitive disorder” and cannot manage his personal affairs.
His wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, had been managing his affairs until her death in January.
Wilson’s management team filed a petition for his conservatorship after his wife’s death. The conservatorship covers Wilson’s personal and medical affairs only, not his estate. His financial assets are held in a trust, with Hard named as trustee and Wilson’s power of attorney.
May also agreed to a stipulation requested by Justin Gold, an attorney representing Wilson’s eldest daughters Carnie Wilson Bonfiglio and Wendy Wilson Knutson.
The daughters asked that “all of Brian’s children who wish to be added will be added to the text chain from his nurses providing updates about Brian,” and that the conservators be required to consult with them and the other siblings “regarding all material health care decisions.”
The petition filed in January indicated there would be no major changes to Wilson’s living arrangements and that Wilson would be able to “continue to work on current projects,” despite his impairments.
His doctor told the court he was taking drug called Aricept to treat his dementia and that he has difficulty following directions except during music lessons or physical therapy.
“This is based on long-standing muscle memory,” the doctor wrote in a filing.
Wilson had been battling mental health issues for decades and was candid in interviews about his struggles with depression and a form of schizoaffective disorder.
He has said singing and songwriting had given him respite from the voices in his head. He continued to perform as a solo artist and even rejoined the Beach Boys for their reunion tour in 2012.
His last live performance was in July 2022.
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