Why was Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson put under Conservatorship in the 1990s? Exploring the Eugene Landy influence

The founder of the iconic rock band The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, has been suffering from a "neurocognitive disorder," which is similar to dementia. Wilson's family asked a Los Angeles court recently to place the singer under a conservatorship. In a joint statement released on Instagram on Thursday, February 15, 2024, Wilson's family explained to fans the reasons that prompted them to take the decision.

Brian Wilson's family noted that they asked for the conservatorship after his wife, Melinda Ledbetter passed away at the age of 77 in January 2024. Melinda, who was a former model and Brian's manager, got married to the latter in 1995.

Wilson, a best-selling artist, isn't a stranger to mental health problems and has spent almost a lifetime dealing with them. The issues were fueled by drug usage as well as the presence of his former conservator, Eugene Landy, a controversial psychologist. According to a People Magazine report from January 2024, Melinda helped Wilson get out of the conservatorship under Landy. The latter was legally barred from getting in touch with the musician in 1992.

In the early 1990s, Brian Wilson was placed under conservatorship when his family was fighting to separate him from Eugene Landy. They claimed that the controversial psychologist's "undue influence" over Wilson became a serious threat to him and his family, even if the singer reportedly didn't understand the same then.

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Wilson's first conservatorship: The story of Brian Wilson and Eugene Landy

Brian Wilson and his fellow bandmates delivered Pet Sounds in 1966, which was quite similar to the bible for musicians who succeeded them. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rock albums ever made, it was hard to follow up on this success.

The constant pressure, along with the stress of maintaining his musical greatness, is believed to be what drove Wilson to a complete breakdown. This was also a time when Wilson was heavily using drugs.

To pull him out of it, in 1975, Marilyn, Wilson's first wife, hired Eugene Landy as a psychotherapist. Landy also had musical aspirations and had an extremely elaborate method of treating patients, a method that was believed to be controversial.

A year later, in 1976, Brian fired Eugene, only to start leaning on him again after the former and Marilyn divorced. By 1983, Eugene had become a huge influence in Brian's life. He was the Beach Boys singer’s executive producer, business manager, co-songwriter, and business adviser.

In 1988, Melinda Ledbetter met Brian Wilson's life and managed to undo some damage that Eugene had reportedly caused.

By 1989, Wilson, who was also one of the most sold artists, had redrafted his will to give the majority of things to Eugene Landy. Reports say Wilson made Eugene Landy the beneficiary of up to 70% of his estate. Ledbetter came across this while working closely with the Wilson family. This redrafting triggered the first conservatorship of Wilson by his family.

In 1992, the Wilson family filed a lawsuit that banned Landy from contacting Brian. After deliberation, the Superior Court of Santa Monica ruled that Landy must remove himself from Wilson's life and hired an independent conservator to look over him.

Melinda was alongside him throughout this court case. In 1995, the two finally married. They stayed married till Melinda's death in January 2024, following which the family filed for another Conservatorship.