A judge has ruled that Brian Wilson, the founding member of the Beach Boys and music icon, should be placed under a court conservatorship to oversee his personal and medical affairs due to a “major neurocognitive disorder,” according to his doctor. The decision comes following the passing of Wilson’s wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, earlier this year.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gus T. May approved a petition on Thursday to place Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson under a court conservatorship to oversee his personal and medical affairs. Wilson, now 81 years old, has been diagnosed with a “major neurocognitive disorder,” according to his doctor, and lacks the capacity to make healthcare decisions. The conservatorship arrangement was consented to by Wilson and appointed two of his longtime representatives, publicist Jean Sievers and manager LeeAnn Hard, as his conservators.
There were no significant objections raised during the hearing. However, two of Wilson’s children, Carnie and Wendy Wilson from the singing group Wilson Phillips, requested through their attorney to be added to a group text chain about their father and to be consulted on medical decisions. The judge granted these stipulations.
Despite initial concerns raised by Wilson’s daughters at an April 30 hearing, consensus has been reached regarding the conservatorship. A doctor’s declaration filed with the petition in February stated that Wilson has a “major neurocognitive disorder” and is taking medication for dementia, rendering him unable to provide for his own personal needs.
Wilson’s attorney, Robert Frank Cipriano, reported to the court that Wilson acknowledged the need for the conservatorship and trusts the judgment of the appointed conservators. Cipriano also noted that Wilson lives with two daughters and a long-term live-in caregiver in Beverly Hills. While Wilson can move around with assistance, he struggles with communication and memory, often providing short responses to questions. Despite these challenges, he has generally consented to the conservatorship.
The Beach Boys’ ‘Endless Summer Gold’ tour is set to make a stop at the Berglund Center, where Brian Wilson, credited with stabilizing his life after meeting Melinda Ledbetter in the mid-1980s and marrying her in 1995, had often performed. Before the conservatorship petition was filed, Wilson, his seven children, his caregiver, and his doctors were consulted, ensuring that there would be no extreme changes in his life and that he would continue to enjoy time with family and friends while working on current projects.
In California, judges have the authority to appoint a conservator for a person, their finances (referred to as the estate), or both. Wilson’s case, unlike Britney Spears’, is more aligned with the traditional use of a conservatorship, typically implemented for older individuals facing irreversible mental decline.
The petition for Wilson’s conservatorship did not seek a conservator of the estate, as his assets are already managed in a trust, with LeeAnn Hard serving as a trustee.
Despite facing mental health and substance abuse issues in the 1960s, Brian Wilson remains deeply revered and acclaimed for his contributions as a co-founder, producer, arranger, and chief songwriter of the Beach Boys. Alongside his bandmates, including brothers Carl and Dennis and cousin Mike Love, Wilson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. brian wilson
