Brian Wilson Conservatorship Approved by Judge
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has signed off on a conservatorship for Beach Boys music legend Brian Wilson, finding “from clear and convincing evidence that a conservatorship of the person is necessary,” and that Wilson “consents and does not object.”
A petition to seek oversight for Wilson’s affairs had been filed in January shortly after Wilson’s wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, died.
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In a decision filed Thursday and reviewed by Variety, Superior Court Judge Gus T. May agreed with Wilson’s doctor that the star suffers from a “major neurocognitive disorder” and requires help to make health care decisions. Two longtime cohorts, manager-publicist Jean Sievers and business manager LeeAnn Hard, have been appointed as the 81-year-old singer’s conservators.
Wilson’s reps had no comment when contacted about the judge’s decision, but are known to be pleased with the judge agreeing to the uncontested arrangement.
The judge agreed to a stipulation requested by Justin Gold, an attorney for eldest daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, asking 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.” This addition was written into the petition before it was signed by the judge. Wilson has seven children, two of whom live with him. Carnie and Wendy had asked for a stay on the decision but did not ask for any further delay upon the granting of this stipulation.
May wrote in his decision that “the conservatee lacks the capacity to make his own healthcare decisions.” The new conservators were ordered to “consult with the conservatee’s children regarding all material related healthcare decisions.”
The judge took into account a report from an attorney that had been appointed by the court to independently assess Wilson’s interests. According to Rolling Stone, that lawyer, Robert Frank Cipriano, reported in a filing that Wilson agreed that he needed a conservatorship after the death of his wife, who had previously handled his affairs. Cipriano noted that Wilson was “mostly difficult to understand and gave very short responses to questions and comments,” and that he maintained a good sense of who and where he was, but beyond naming two daughters who live with him, could not name all of his other children.
The petition filed in January indicated that there would not be significant changes to Wilson’s living arrangements under a conservatorship. That petition suggested that, despite his impairments, Wilson would be able to “continue to work on current projects.”
Per Rolling Stone, Wilson is taking the drug Aricepta, used to treat dementia, according to a declaration to the court filed by Dr. Stephen S. Marmer, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA.
Wilson’s assets are already in a trust and do not require oversight as part of the newly installed conservatorship.
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