Earlier this year, the family of The Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson filed for him to be placed under a conservatorship after he was diagnosed with dementia. Rolling Stone reports that Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gus T. May has granted the petition as of today (5/9). Jean Sievers (Wilson’s longtime publicist) and LeeAnn Hard (his business manager) will run the conservatorship.
The judge also granted a last minute request from Wilson’s two oldest daughters, Carnie Wilson Bonfiglio and Wendy Wilson Knutson, that “all of Brian’s children who wish to be added will be added to the text chain from his nurses providing updates about Brian” and that Sievers and Hard would consult with Wilson’s children “regarding all material healthcare decisions.”
Rolling Stone also reports on the contents of a capacity declaration on Wilson made by clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine Dr. Stephen S. Marmer. It said Wilson, who’s taking Aricept for the dementia, would find it physically difficult and “emotionally very stressful” to attend court in person, that he is “easily distracted” and “often makes spontaneous irrelevant or incoherent utterances,” and that he has a “very short attention span and while unintentionally disruptive, is frequently unable to maintain decorum appropriate to the situation.”
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Sievers said, “While Brian is diagnosed with dementia and he mourns the loss of his beloved wife Melinda, he is physically healthy and leads a full life and is currently working on projects. As his co-conservators, we will ensure that all of Brian’s daily living needs are satisfied and he continues to lead an active life.”