Brian Wilson, the co-founder of the “Beach Boys,” team has filed to place the legendary musician under a conservatorship.
According to court documents, obtained by The Blast, a woman is listed on the filing who is an agent for Brian’s touring company, along with a longtime publicist. The filing says he is suffering from a “major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia).”
The famous record producer has a history of mental health issues and it is believed he won’t be able to take care of himself and treat the illness.
‘Beach Boys’ Star Brian Wilson Suffering From Dementia
In the filing, Wilson’s team is seeking legal authority to help him with his medical care. Specifically, we’re told Wilson is currently suffering from Dementia and is being treated for the disorder.
It appears the case revolves around his ability to properly treat the illness. The documents state, “The (proposed) conservatee does NOT have the capacity to informed consent to the administration of medications appropriate to the care and treatment of major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia.)”
Adding, “The deficits in mental function assessed…significantly impair the (proposed) conservatee’s ability to understand and appreciate the consequences of giving consent to the administration of medications for the care and treatment of major neurocognitive disorders.”
The court documents point out that “because of medical inability, the proposed conservatee is not able to attend the court hearing” on the subject.
At this point, a hearing will be held to determine if a judge agrees to place the legendary ‘Beach Boys’ star under a conservatorship. Court records indicate a hearing is set for April 26, 2024.
The legendary musician has long been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, which has only worsened over time.
Wilson’s case is reminiscent of Jay Leno filing a conservatorship over his wife, Mavis after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
The music genius’ struggles date way back to the 1960s when he began to succumb to the pressure of being the lead composer of the Beach Boys and shockingly retired from music. However, unknown to many Wilson had been fighting demons since he was a child thanks to his abusive father, who allegedly physically abused him until he endured damage in his ear.
Unfortunately, just when he was at the peak of his career, the Hawthorne native began going on a downward spiral following a nervous breakdown. Wilson abandoned touring to focus on recording, resulting in him birthing history-making records for The Beach Boys.
However, alongside the explosive creativity came a decline in his mental health. He was battling depression, and his mental health diagnosis manifested itself in auditory hallucinations. It also didn’t help that Wilson began experimenting with LSD and other drugs alongside abusing alcohol and an eating disorder.
As a result of his reclusion, Wilson was introduced to a psychologist named Eugene Landy who subjected him to “24-hour therapy” treatment that included “boot-camp-level exercise regimens, a padlocked refrigerator and, on some mornings, an icy splash of water to get him out of bed.”
Although his experience with Landy was positive at first, causing him to return to normal, Landy soon became controlling and inserted himself in all areas of Wilson’s life — becoming his business partner, record producer, and occasional songwriting collaborator.
There was also the issue of Landy charging Wilson exorbitant amounts — as high as $20,000 monthly — for Wilson’s therapy treatments. During an interview when asked if Landy was too controlling, Wilson said:
“I thought so, but there was nothing I could do about it and I eventually gave in to it. He definitely helped me. It cost over a hundred thousand dollars – he charged a hell of a lot per month.”
Wilson continued with Landy despite the red flags, relapsing in the 1970s and eventually overdosing in 1982. Finally, in 1989, Wilson was free from the shackles of Dr. Landy when the State of California Board of Medical Quality revoked his professional license due to “Wilson’s psychological dependency on Landy.”
Wilson Lost His Wife Melinda Who Helped Him Through His Mental Illness
Wilson’s conservatorship comes just a month after he lost a major support system in his life — his wife Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson. Melinda passed away on January 30, 2024, and Wilson mourned her demise in a poignant social post.
“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior,” he began. “She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her. Love and Mercy, Brian.”
Melinda, who met her husband at a Los Angeles Cadillac dealership in 1986, was very critical in releasing Wilson from the shackles of Landy. “He was having a lot of problems when I met him,” Melinda said of Mr. Landy. “I think originally he did help; he helped Brian lose weight, and he helped Brian care about himself physically again. But then, as time went on, he became very captive of Brian, where Brian was primarily a prisoner.”
Days before the news of the conservatorship, Rolling Stone revealed that a country record by the 81-year-old and his longtime Beach Boys manager, Fred Vail, is set for release sometime next year. The project titled “Cows in the Pasture” was shelved for over five decades before its expected release.
