The news marks a fresh blow for Wilson’s family, who are still coming to terms the passing of the iconic singer’s wife Melinda only earlier this month.
Wilson, 81, announced the news on social media, writing: “My heart is broken. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. 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.”
Melinda was widely credited with saving Wilson, who for decades struggled with mental health problems including schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, including at the height of his fame and acclaim with The Beach Boys.
By the 1980s, Wilson was largely under the control of his controversial psychotherapist, Eugene Landy, who prescribed treatments for Wilson’s mental health but also exerted a lot of influence over his career and business, including taking portions of his songwriting royalties. He later became Wilson’s legal guardian.
It was Melinda who broke him from this unhealthy bond and likely saved his life. The couple met in 1986 when Melinda, then a Cadillac saleswoman, sold Brian a car. They dated for three years, but Landy “decided we were getting too close,” Melinda later told the Washington Post, and broke up their relationship.
Brian and Melinda reunited in 1992, and the Wilson family issued a restraining order against Landy forbidding him from contacting Brian. Melinda became Brian’s new manager as well as his wife, providing stability and better mental health and allowing Brian to make a late-career musical comeback.
As per new reports, Brian’s family, including his seven children and trusted aide Gloria Ramos, have proposed a united conservatorship to help the 81-year-old as he battles dementia.
“Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian’s doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators of the person,” Wilson’s family told the DailyMail in a statement.
A hearing set for April 26, 2024 will determine the establishment of the conservatorship.
