The family of Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, requests his guardianship after the death of his wife and his advanced dementia

Just a few days ago, on January 30, Brian Wilson (Inglewood, California, 81 years old), founder of the band Beach Boys, signed some moving words of farewell to his wife through his Instagram account: “I have the heart broken.

Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, left us this morning.

Our five children and I did not stop crying.

We are lost.

Melinda was much more than my wife.

She was my savior.

She gave me the emotional security I needed to have my career.

She supported me to make the music that was closest to my heart.

She was my anchor.

It was everything for us.

Pray for her, please for her.”

This was an atypical publication in Wilson's account, since he does not usually sign anything that appears there.

His social network profile, like that of so many other artists, is not managed by Wilson himself, but by a team that updates about his projects, shares articles that appear in the press about him or about the emblematic American band, and posts photographs, videos or performances from long ago to the delight of their fans.

Just a few hours ago, it was the Wilson family who posted a statement on the composer and vocalist's account, reporting that they had requested legal guardianship of the artist: “Following the death of Melinda, Brian's beloved wife, after careful consideration and consultation between Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos [his caregiver], and Brian's doctors (and in accordance with the family processes implemented by Brian and Melinda), we confirm that LeeAnn, a long-time representative of the Wilson family, Hard and Jean Sievers will act as co-guardians of Brian,” they explained through the publication.

“This decision was made to ensure that there will be no major changes to the home and that Brian and the children living in the home will be cared for and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and a wonderful team.

“Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue working on current projects, as well as participate in any activity he chooses.”

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According to court documents for the guardianship request, obtained by various American media, Wilson “does not have the capacity to give informed consent for the administration of appropriate medications for the care and treatment of significant neurocognitive disorders (including dementia).”

And he describes the Beach Boys leader as someone “unable to adequately meet his personal needs for physical health, food, clothing or housing.”

A doctor states in the documents that Wilson will not be able to attend his guardianship hearing because he “often makes spontaneous, irrelevant or incoherent statements, has a very short attention span, and is frequently unable to maintain appropriate decorum.” for the situation.”

This hearing, scheduled for April 26, will determine if the family obtains approval for his request.

Brian and Melinda Wilson had been married for 28 years.

On February 6, 2024, they would have celebrated their 29th birthday. It was she who, in recent years, took care of the needs of her husband.

This is what the singer wanted, who in a living will had named Melinda as his primary caregiver and guardian.

However, the perfectly competent Brian did not seem to contemplate his wife leaving before him, so he had not named a person to succeed him in caring for him.

That is why the family proposes Sievers and Hard as co-guardians, because “they had an intimate relationship with the Wilsons for years, and Mr. Wilson trusts them.”

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“She was my savior.”

Brian Wilson met Melinda Ledbetter, a former model, at a Cadillac car dealership, where she worked as a salesperson, in 1986. He did not go alone, but in the company of his psychiatrist, Eugene Landy, with whom he had been in treatment, with his and comings, since 1975. Wilson, who had been hearing voices in his head since he was 20, according to what he says in his memoirs,

I am Brian Wilson... and you are not

(Malpaso y Cia, 2019), had also developed an endless number of addictions (to drugs, alcohol and junk food) that caused their family and friends to seek professional help.

Unfortunately, the remedy was worse.

Landy saw a richness in his patient and decided to make the most of it: he earned a fixed salary during the years of treatment, isolated the artist from his family and friends and, in addition, became his partner, producer and beneficiary of many of his activities, including the rights to some of his work.

After meeting at that dealership, and after a few months of dating over Dr. Landy's objections, Melinda filed the Wilson case for the first time before California law.

Nothing could be done, because the future Mrs. Wilson still did not have a family relationship with the musician, but that was the seed that allowed Wilson's physical, mental and economic liberation from the clutches of his psychiatrist, who was finally removed from the profession. and, in 1991, a restraining order was obtained.

Brian and Melinda married in 1995 and adopted five children (Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash).

Brian already had two daughters from his previous marriage to Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, whom he divorced in 1979, Carnie and Wendy Wilson.