One of the conservators appointed to oversee Beach Boy Brian Wilson’s golden years promises that his daily living needs will be satisfied and that he will continue to lead an active life.
Publicist-manager Jean Sievers will work with Mr. Wilson’s business manager, LeeAnn Hard, as co-conservator of his person.
“It was voluntary and consented by him and his entire family,” Ms. Sievers told The Epoch Times.
Mr. Wilson, 81, who co-founded the Beach Boys band in 1961, wrote hit songs such as “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations.”
On the eve of the band’s 60th anniversary in 2021, Iconic acquired a controlling interest in The Beach Boys brand, sound recordings, and memorabilia.
As a result, Los Angeles probate litigator Arash Sadat doesn’t foresee anything happening to the remaining interest Mr. Wilson or his trust has in the Beach Boys.
“The petition is for conservatorship of the person only, which means that the trustee or trustees of Brian Wilson’s trust will continue to have control over Wilson’s financial affairs,” Mr. Sadat told The Epoch Times.
Although Ms. Sievers and Ms. Hard will oversee his care, Mr. Wilson, by virtue of having a court-appointed guardian or conservator, is now a ward of the state of California.
“‘Voluntary’ conservatorships always scare me,” Rick Black, director of the Center for Estate Administration Reform, told The Epoch Times. “Brian has had documented mental issues for over a decade. He shouldn’t be volunteering for anything concerning court costs and interference given his history and the recent death of his dedicated wife.”
Wards of the state under guardianship or conservatorship are typically the elderly or adults with mental or developmental disabilities who are alleged to be unable to manage their personal lives.
They lose most of their civil liberties after being placed under court supervision.
For example, the American Civil Liberties Union reports court-appointed guardianships being used for surveillance, to deny visitation with friends and family, to interfere with reproductive rights, to deny medical care and meals, and to confine individuals without consent.
“It can be abused,” Chicago probate and guardianship attorney John Wood told The Epoch Times. “In this situation, you have co-conservators, so you would hope that with two people there, they wouldn’t collude to deny him medical care.”
Mr. Wilson has seven children aged 20 to 55 and one minor who is 14.
“Because of the size of his estate, at some point, I’m guessing there’s going to be a dispute over it,” Mr. Wood added.
The Blast reported that Mr. Wilson’s Advance Health Care Directive did not name an agent to succeed his deceased wife, and Ms. Hard, his business manager and co-conservator, is the trustee of his assets that are held in trust.
The Wilson family said the decision was made to ensure that there would be “no extreme changes to the household.”
Ms. Ramos is Mr. Wilson’s former housekeeper and current caretaker.
Ms. Sievers also said that Mr. Wilson was diagnosed with dementia. He struggled previously with depression and schizoaffective disorder.
“He mourns the loss of his beloved wife, Melinda; he leads a full life and is currently working on projects,” she said.
In recent years, Britney Spears’s conservatorship raised awareness of how abuses occur under court supervision.
Ms. Spears alleged she had been isolated, medicated, financially exploited, and emotionally abused under a court-appointed conservatorship.
“Judges get it wrong sometimes,” Mr. Sadat added. “It happens. It has happened to me. I’ve been on both sides of a judge getting it wrong.”
Other celebrities whose conservatorship has been in the news include now-deceased Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols and radio host Casey Kasem, who died in 2014.
A Washington police department began investigating Kasem’s death four years later after some family members alleged it to be wrongful.
By 2030, California will be home to 10.8 million people aged 60 and older, according to the California Department of Aging.
“This is Los Angeles County, where most probate judges believe everyone deserves a conservator, especially the rich and famous,” Mr. Black said.
“I am highly suspect of the need, their understanding of conservatorship, and the intentions of the petitioner. Conservatorship should always be considered only as a last resort.”
