Some people may remember 13 years ago when Britney Spears had a breakdown and shaved her head. This action likely led to the beginning of her conservatorship, which was in place until November 2021. Her father was the conservator and put some pretty strict rules into place regarding every part of Spears’ life.
Because her father had control over her finances, she couldn't go to an ATM to pull out money. She also couldn't buy the stuff she wants. On top of having complete control over her money, she also couldn't have an iPhone – oddly specific. During the court appearance, it also came to light that she had an IUD she wished it to be removed to have another child.
Since her early years, Amanda Bynes hasn’t had an easy time. In 2014, it was revealed that she has bipolar disorder. Soon after that, her addiction to substances came to light, and during that time, she was unable to make decisions for herself that were beneficial to her future. From that point on, her mother became a conservator for her.
In 2020, Bynes joined Instagram and explained her situation in an attempt to get support similar to what Britney Spears has. Under Bynes’ conservatorship, she couldn't marry her fiancé, Paul Michael, or leave the treatment center she'd been staying at. She tried to have the conservatorship removed in 2020, but the judge kept it in place. Finally, in March 2022, she was released from conservatorship.
Lindsay Lohan has struggled with several problems, much like Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes. She began going to AA meetings in 2007 and checked herself into a treatment center. But, unfortunately, things got much worse for her. By 2013, she had gone through six stints in treatment facilities, and she went on Oprah to discuss her troubled family life when she was younger.
Michael Lohan, Lindsay’s father, saw the conservatorship for Britney Spears, so he approached his lawyer to begin the same type of guardianship for his daughter. So far, Lindsay’s father has failed to gain a conservatorship, but he won’t stop trying. Hopefully, Lindsay can get her life in order to avoid anything like Britney has gone through.
The Beach Boys were all about being happy-go-lucky, but behind the scenes, they were all dealing with some pretty dark stuff. Brian, Carl, and Dennis’s father Murray had been extremely abusive towards the boys growing up and onward, partially leading to Brian Wilson’s mental issues. After being diagnosed with bipolar schizoaffective disorder, Wilson’s psychologist, Dr. Landy, began controlling everything.
Landy also became Wilson’s business partner, and they formed an extremely tight bond. Family members stated that Landy would over-medicate Wilson to make him easier to control. Wilson even told The Post that Landy “wasn’t very friendly with me.” To break this hold, Wilson’s cousin, Stan Love, was granted a conservatorship. Following that, everything Dr. Landy did to Brian Wilson came to light, including cutting off all contact with friends and family.
Fans were shocked when Joni Mitchell collapsed in her Bel Air home. It came to light that she suffered from a brain aneurysm, but she was on the road to recovery. During that time, she would need a conservator to handle her affairs. Superior Court Judge David Cunningham III placed her friend Leslie Morris as Mitchell’s conservator, although she would have no control over financial decisions.
This all occurred in 2015, and she began working daily to regain her abilities. She was able to talk fairly quickly, but it took three years for her to walk again. While there are no reports whether or not she’s still under a conservatorship, it’s assumed that she’s back to controlling her own daily decisions as her health improves.
Eagles’ member Randy Meisner also had a conservatorship that he requested for himself. That’s definitely different from the rest of the people on this list. He stated that he was in “a lot of pain” following the death of his wife. The conservatorship was given to Meisner’s longtime friend, Arthur Ford. His accountant, Thomas DeLong, would control Meisner’s finances.
However, not all were pleased with the choices. James Newton, who describes himself as a longtime friend, wanted someone else chosen as a conservator. Due to recent mental troubles, the judge and Newton decided on Frumeh Labow, who has a lengthy background in social work, to fill the role, instead of Meisner’s other friend and accountant. As far as anyone knows, Meisner is still under a conservatorship and rarely appears in public.
Disc jockey Case Kasem’s later years were rough. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which required a conservatorship to take care of the entertainer. Kasem’s wife and his children from another marriage fought for control. The judge decided to grant his current wife Jean a conservatorship, but his children weren’t going to back down. Julie (Kasem’s daughter) hadn’t been able to see her father despite having power of attorney before the conservatorship.
The judge reversed the conservatorship in May 2014 and granted a new conservator, Kerri Kasem, who was Casey’s daughter. They claimed that their stepmother had been abusing their father, which the judge apparently agreed with. The children later tried to file charges for elder abuse, but the District Attorney never filed anything on their behalf. Casey Kasem passed away on June 15, 2014.
Mickey Rooney was one of the most famous actors to ever live. He appeared in over 300 films before his death, but the years leading up to his final days were nothing but fighting. Rooney suffered abuse from his eighth wife, Jan, and her son, Chris Aber. Hollywood Reporter quoted Chris as he laughed and said, “she kicked him real hard” under the table.
The pair stole money from him and abused him (including withholding food and medication from the former child star). This is precisely why Rooney’s attorney filed for a conservatorship. By the time he did this, more than $400,000 had disappeared from Rooney’s finances. The judge granted it in 2011 along with a restraining order against Aber. In 2014, Rooney passed away from natural causes.
There has certainly been a lot of controversy lately involving Michael Oher, the famous footballer from The Blind Side. He dropped a bombshell lawsuit that alleged that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy profited greatly from his story and his life without actually ever adopting him. Furthermore, he claims that he was tricked into a conservatorship in 2004.
After the lawsuit was filed in Tennessee, the Tuohys have decided to end the conservatorship (which is a little surprising they haven’t done it already since Oher is now heading toward his 40s. They state that Michael got “every dime” he “had coming.” Whatever that means.
