Judge finds Beach Boys' Brian Wilson needs conservatorship due to mental decline

ANGELS — A judge ruled Thursday that Beach Boys founder and music luminary Brian Wilson should be placed under a legal conservatorship to manage his personal and medical decisions because of what his doctor calls a major neurocognitive disorder.

At a hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gus T. May approved the petition filed by the family and entourage of Wilson, 81, following the January death of his wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, who took care of most of his chores and affairs. .

“I conclude, based on clear and convincing evidence, that a guardianship of the person is necessary,” May said during the brief hearing. The judge said the evidence shows Wilson consents to the arrangement and does not have the capacity to make health care decisions.

May named two longtime Wilson representatives, publicist Jean Sievers and manager LeeAnn Hard, as curators.

No significant objections were raised.

Two of Wilson's seven children, Carnie and Wendy Wilson of the Wilson Phillips singing group, requested through their lawyer that all of the children be added to a group text chain about their father and that they all be consulted on medical decisions. The judge granted the stipulations.

Both girls had requested a delay in the process at a hearing on April 30 while the issues were resolved, but it was clear at the hearing that consensus had been reached.

A medical declaration filed with the petition in February indicated that Wilson suffered from a major neurocognitive disorder, was taking medication for dementia and was unable to adequately provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing or clothing. accommodation.

Sievers and Hard have had a close relationship with Wilson and his wife for many years. In a report, Robert Frank Cipriano, a court-appointed attorney to represent Wilson's interests, said Wilson recognized the need for a conservatorship and said he trusted the judgment of both women.

Cipriano's court report says he visited Wilson at his impeccably well-kept residence in Beverly Hills, where he lives with two daughters and a longtime live-in caregiver.

Wilson can get around with the help of a walker and a caregiver, Cipriano said, and he has a good idea of ​​who he is, where he is and when he is, but cannot name his children beyond the two who live with him.

He said Wilson was generally difficult to understand and gave very short answers to questions and comments. »

Cipriano said he approved of the conservatorship, primarily because of Wilson's general consent.

Wilson credited Ledbetter with stabilizing his difficult life after they met in the mid-1980s and married in 1995.

Wilson, his seven children, his caregiver and his doctors consulted before filing the petition, according to a family statement at the time. He said the decision was to ensure there would be no extreme changes and that Brian could enjoy all his family and friends and continue working on current projects. »

California judges can appoint a conservator for a person, their finances called an estate, or both, as was the case with Britney Spears. Spears' case focused much of the attention on conservatorships, known in some states as conservatorships, and led to legislative changes. Wilson's case is closer to the typical traditional use of a guardianship, which is very often established for an elderly person in irreversible mental decline.

Wilson's petition did not seek a conservator of the estate because its assets are in a trust, with Hard as trustee.

Deeply revered and acclaimed as co-founder, producer, arranger and chief songwriter of the Beach Boys and a masterful innovator of vocal harmony, Wilson struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues that upended his career in the 1960s.

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 with his bandmates, including brothers Carl and Dennis and cousin Mike Love.