Brian Wilson's frail final public outing as he joined The Beach Boys in heartbreaking snaps after being placed under conservatorship

Daily Mail​

a day ago

Photos of Brian Wilson's final public outing have resurfaced after his death at 82.
The legendary musician looked frail as he had been joined by members of his iconic group The Beach Boys at the Los Angeles premiere of their Disney+ documentary back on May 22, 2024.
Weeks before that an LA Superior court judge had ruled that he had to have a conservatorship set up to care for his personal and medical needs.
Brian - who was 81 at the time - remained in a wheelchair at the event as he met the film's crew and reunited with members of the band.
Last year, weeks after the death of his longtime wife Melinda, it emerged that he had been diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder similar to dementia.
His children announced Wilson's death on the singer's official Instagram page this Wednesday, along with what appeared to be a recent photo.
'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,' they wrote.
'Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.'
Meanwhile, at Brian's final public outing in May 2024, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, David Marks and Blondie Chaplin were all present for the festivities in LA as they gathered around Brian for photos.
Brian co-founded the band with his late brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Love and close friend Jardine back in 1961.
Weeks before that, Judge Gus T. May determined on May 9, 2024 that the singer–songwriter required a court conservatorship, citing what his doctors described as a 'major neurocognitive disorder,' according to ABC News.
The ruling comes just under three months after Wilson's family and caregivers requested that a conservatorship be set up to care for the rock and roll icon.
According to them, he had been suffering from dementia, which was exacerbated following the January 2024 death of his wife Melinda — who had cared for many of his needs — at the age of 77.
'I find from clear and convincing evidence that a conservatorship of the person is necessary,' the judge declared at the hearing.
May determined that Wilson could no longer effectively make his own medical decisions, prompting the creation of the conservatorship.
However, unlike with other infamous cases of high-profile stars being put under the care of a conservatorship, the Beach Boys leader had allegedly consented to the plan.
The judge previously appointed the attorney Robert Frank Cipriano to represent Wilson's interests in court, and in a report Cipriano authored he said Wilson agreed that the conservatorship was necessary for him, and he was satisfied with the conservator picks.
May installed two of Wilson's longtime employees, his manager LeeAnn Hard and his publicist Jean Sievers, as his conservators after his family previously requested that they share that role.
There were previously concerns about potential disagreements between Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson after they requested a delay at a hearing on April 30 while they tried to come to an agreement with Hard and Sievers.
However, the sisters — who constitute two-thirds of the band Wilson Phillips — seemed to smoothed out any issues and didn't voice any objections by that May 2024 hearing.
The news of the filing arrived just weeks after he suffered a tragedy when his longtime wife Melinda died at age 77.
At the time, journalists who had interviewed Wilson in the past noted how she had been a constant source of help and reassurance for the musician in his later years, and she was said to have regularly sat in on interviews with him.
In a statement to DailyMail.com at the time, Wilson's family said that 'longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person' after his seven children, his caregiver and his doctors had determined the move was necessary.
'This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family.
'Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses,' they concluded.
Wilson had a decades-long history of mental health issues and has struggled with substance abuse in the past, and the court filing said he would allegedly be unable to care for himself as his condition deteriorates.
They also said that Wilson is not able to attend hearings on the matter 'because of medical inability.'
A 'capacity' filing among the documents said that Wilson's 'fear, depression, helplessness' are 'severely inappropriate.'
The filing quoted a doctor who said Wilson is 'easily distracted, often even when aware of surroundings, and its purpose.'
They added that the musician 'Often makes spontaneous irrelevant or incoherent utterances' and 'Has very short attention span and while unintentionally disruptive, is frequently unable to maintain decorum appropriate to the situation.'
He was also said to be taking medication to 'slow the progression of the illness.'
Wilson's family indicated in its statement and in the court filing that the death of his wife Melinda on January 30, 2024 necessitated the conservatorship request, as she had been taking care of his 'daily living needs.'
Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson — of Wilson Phillips fame — requested that all his children be included on a text chain with updates on his condition, and that they be consulted about medical decisions, which the judge agreed to; seen in 2019 in LA
'Mr. Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter,' the filing continues.
Wilson's intended co-conservators did not request a conservator of Wilson's estate, as his assets are held in a trust, with Hard serving as its trustee.
In an anguished social media post announcing his wife Melinda's death, Wilson wrote: '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,' he continued. 'Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior.'
The couple were married in 1995. They previously dated from 1986 through 1989, though meddling from Wilson's then-therapist Eugene Landy ended the relationship. Landy had nearly total control of Wilson's life at the time.
Landy's professional license in California was revoked in 1989, and his overwhelming control over Wilson's personal and professional life was cited among the initial allegations.
Wilson was previously reported to have been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder in the past.
In a 2015 interview with Salon — which his wife Melinda joined him for — Wilson admitted to experiencing auditory hallucinations in the form of voices for decades; seen (top right) in 1964 The Beach Boys
In a 2015 interview with Salon — which his wife Melinda joined him for — Wilson admitted to experiencing auditory hallucinations in the form of voices for decades.
'I have voices in my head,' he explained. 'Mostly it's derogatory. Some of it's cheerful. Most of it isn't.'
Wilson began heavily using drugs in the mid-1960s, including the psychedelic drug LSD, and shortly afterward he began to develop paranoid delusions.
Although he had nearly total control of The Beach Boys through 1966 and the creation of the band's masterpiece Pet Sounds, his increasing drug use and mental health issues had forced him to step back from his creative position.