Brian Wilson Living With Neurocognitive Disorder, Family Proposes Conservatorship

Brian Wilson’s family is seeking a conservatorship for the Beach Boys star, saying in a filing that he is “unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter” due to a neurocognitive disorder similar to dementia. The family said in a statement, shared on Wilson’s Instagram, that it took the decision “to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household” after the death last month of Wilson’s wife, Melinda, who had been caring for him. A conservatorship, the statement added, would allow Wilson to “work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses.”

The court document, filed in Los Angeles and reported by The Blast and People, quoted a doctor’s description of Wilson as “easily distracted, often even when aware of surroundings.” The doctor added that Wilson “often makes spontaneous irrelevant or incoherent utterances” and struggles “to maintain decorum appropriate to the situation.” A judge will decide whether the conservatorship can go ahead. A court date is set for April 26, a summary document shows.

Wilson was first placed in a conservatorship in the 1990s, after a long period of decline due to drug use, mental health issues, and the malign influence of the disgraced psychologist Eugene Landy. In the early 1990s, a court ordered Landy to exit Wilson’s life and appointed an independent conservator. In 1995, Wilson married Melinda, and the pair adopted five children, some of whom still live in the household.

According to the Wilson family’s statement, representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as the musician’s co-conservators. Pitchfork has emailed Catherine Margaret Swafford, an attorney for Hard, for comment and more information.