The daughter of Stan Lee,
J.C., has settled a lawsuit against Max Anderson, the comic book
legend’s former longtime road manager accused of elder abuse and
pilfering tens of millions of dollars in memorabilia, autograph revenue
and appearance fees.
Ahead of a trial slated to start next week, both sides on Thursday
informed the court of a deal to resolve the case. The agreement is
conditioned on the completion of certain undisclosed terms. Further
details weren’t revealed.
At the heart of the lawsuit: Allegations that Anderson leveraged his
control over Lee’s life to steal over $21 million — as well as hundreds
of pieces of collectibles and memorabilia, including Batman creator Bob
Kane’s original drawing of the “Joker” and movie props featured across
Marvel movies — toward the end of his former boss’ life.
Shortly after meeting Lee around 2007, Anderson assumed exclusive
control of his operations for comic book conventions and public
appearances until he was pushed out of Lee’s circle by J.C in 2017. He
also acted as a caretaker for the aging comic book writer, who was in
his 80s and 90s at the time and was essentially blind, coordinating
health care services while serving as a business fiduciary in some
dealings.
Over the course of almost a decade, Anderson, who said he didn’t
receive monetary compensation for his work and was paid in the form of
autographs on collectibles, accompanied Lee to 111 comic book
conventions around the world. At these conventions, Anderson and a
business partner operated a booth where fans could purchase a signatures
on collectibles for up to $120 a piece. The origins of the business,
“Stan Lee Collectibles,” was a subject of the lawsuit, which alleged
that Lee didn’t see any profits from the venture. Before Lee died, he
signed an agreement granting Anderson a worldwide license for use of his
name and likeness in perpetuity for a dollar, the lawsuit alleged.
J.C. claimed that Anderson pushed her father to work tireless hours
until months before his death. She accused him of stealing at least
$11.1 million in autograph revenue and $10.2 million in appearance fees.
Anderson has denied ever handling money at events, which saw Lee earn
roughly $35,000 in a single day signing autographs and taking pictures.
At trial, witnesses, including Anderson’s twin brother who worked
security at some events, were set to testify that they saw Anderson
handling “duffle bags” of cash, which was allegedly used to buy art and
other luxury items, according to court filings. Anderson’s ex-wife was
also set to tell the court that she saw Anderson handle significant
amounts of cash after returning home from events with Lee and that he
kept “stacks of cash” in a large bedroom safe. Lawyers for J.C. claimed
that Anderson’s personal wealth and assets ballooned in the years he
worked for Lee.
A contentious part of the litigation was a museum intended to house
Lee’s memorabilia, collectibles and personal items to be featured at
various comic book conventions. Anderson, through his license for use of
Lee’s name and likeness, arranged for Lee to gift him personal items
that were to be placed in the museum but were allegedly rerouted to
Anderson’s businesses. For the last decade, the pieces have been in
Anderson’s possession at his comic book store and home while the museum
has only been featured at a handful of conventions, the lawsuit alleged.
Anderson has said that he can’t identify which items belong to the
museum and that much of it was stolen, damaged or thrown out since they
weren’t valuable. J.C.’s lawyers have pushed back on that assertion,
pointing to a lawsuit he filed over collectibles stolen from his home,
including original movie props like Iron Man’s mask, the arm of Nebula
from Guardians of the Galaxy and a set of X-23 claws from Logan.
Lawyers for J.C. and Anderson didn’t respond to requests for comment.
JC Lee denies abusing her parents, and says she regrets not speaking out sooner.
By Michael Hein
Stan Lee’s daughter JC Lee denied the allegations that she abused her elderly parents in a new interview with Business Insider published on Monday. This is the first time JC has responded to these claims, which were first raised by The Hollywood Reporter
in April of 2018. The article described alleged financial abuse and
exploitation by several people, including one business manager who was
referred to Lee by JC. It also included allegations that JC herself had
physically abused her parents — slamming Lee’s head against the back of a
chair in anger at one point and grabbing her mother’s arm so hard it
bruised.
“They are all lies,” JC said in this new interview. “I never did it… I
never ever touched my parents.” The 75-year-old said that she was
advised not to make a public denial back in 2018, but she regrets it now
in hindsight. However, she believes that her father was exploited for his money, and that the people who did it are walking free today, reaping the benefits.
The THR article that started this story came less than a
year after Lee’s wife, Joan Boocock died at the age of 95, and six
months before Lee himself died on November 12, 2018, also at 95.
It led to criminal elder abuse charges against Lee’s former business
manager, Keya Morgan, which were dropped in 2022 when a jury deadlocked
on his case. It also singled out Jerardo Olivarez, a business manager
recommended to Lee by his daughter, whom Lee sued before his death.
The allegations against JC never led to charges, but they were
serious on several front. She was portrayed as spoiled and entitled,
frequently clashing with her parents over money and property. The
article’s claim of physical violence stemmed from a 2014 incident where
JC supposedly attacked her parents after discovering that her new Jaguar
was leased in her father’s name, not her own. The sources said that Lee
and Boocock did not go to the authorities because they believed JC was
in a delicate mental state.
JC herself acknowledged that she is prone to rage and tantrums in her new interview. She told Business Insider
that she often screamed at her parents, but never hit them or hurt
them. JC’s former business partner, James MacLean, added that screaming
was generally a big part of the family dynamic for all three of them.
Now, JC said that she believes some of the people handling business
interests and money for her father late in his life succeeded in
enriching themselves, leaving her without the inheritance she was
expecting. “I feel these people have taken my life,” she said, “and
they’re eating off gold utensils and I’m eating off plastic.”
FILE - In this April 23, 2018, file photo, Stan Lee, left, and Keya
Morgan arrive at the world premiere of "Avengers: Infinity War" in Los
Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge
declared a mistrial and dismissed grand theft charges Tuesday against a
former business manager of Marvel Comics mastermind Stan Lee.
Superior
Court Judge George Lomeli dismissed the charges against Keya Morgan,
who was accused of stealing from Lee, when a jury was deadlocked 11-1 in
favor of acquittal after two days of deliberations and a 2 1/2-week
trial.
Lomeli said he was stepping in to clear Morgan of three
felony counts of grand theft from an elder "in the interests of
justice," according to Variety.
My
client and I have spent four years proving his innocence and today we
prevailed," Morgan's attorney Alex Kessel said in an email to The
Associated Press.
Prosecutors had alleged that Morgan,
41, stole more than $220,000 in proceeds from three memorabilia signings
from Lee about six months before Lee died in 2018. Morgan was arrested the following year. Initial charges of elder abuse and false imprisonment against Morgan were dropped long before the trial.
FILE - In this June 28, 2017 file photo, Stan Lee arrives at the Los
Angeles premiere of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
The prosecution argued during the trial that Morgan had preyed on Lee
when Lee was in mental decline in the last months of his life, and
acted without authority on his behalf.
Kessel argued that the missing money actually went to Lee's daughter and heir J.C. Lee, who was a witness during the trial.
The proceedings were largely overshadowed by the simultaneous trials of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and actor Danny Masterson, which were going on simultaneously with Morgan's in the same hallway of a downtown LA courthouse.
An after-hours email sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Lee,
the creative dynamo who co-created characters including Spider-Man, the
Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk for Marvel and made beloved
cameos in the movies that featured his creations, died in November of
2018 at age 95.
The estate of Stan Lee has settled a complaint of elder abuse against
the comic book legend’s former business manager, Jerardo “Jerry”
Olivarez, according to a court document obtained by The Hollywood
Reporter. Terms of the deal, filed Monday, were not disclosed. The
settlement doesn’t resolve the estate’s battle against Lee’s former
attorney, Uvi Litvak, who was similarly accused of exploiting the
elderly Lee in the final years of his life. Lee died in 2018, six months
after filing against Olivarez and Litvak, who he called in his
complaint “unscrupulous businessmen, sycophants and opportunists.” After
gaining power of attorney, according to Lee’s original suit,
Olivarez modified his client’s will, fired his personal banker of 26
years, and weaseled money out of his bank accounts, some of which the
manager used to buy an $850,000 condominium. In a Wednesday statement,
Olivarez’s attorney said, “The genesis of this dispute was the
unfortunate manipulation of Stan Lee and his family undertaken by
certain individuals—not named in the lawsuit—which was intended to
unfairly malign Jerry Olivarez.”
Stan Lee’s
estate has agreed to settle claims of exploitation and elder abuse
against the writer’s former business manager, Jerardo “Jerry” Olivarez.
Stan
Lee sued Olivarez and his former attorney Uvi Litvak in 2018, calling
them “unscrupulous businessmen, sycophants and opportunists” seeking to
take advantage of him following the death of his wife, Joan Lee.
According to a court document filed on Monday (25 July), Lee’s estate moved to settle up this issue.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, and the document doesn’t include claims against Litvak.
At
first, Olivarez was a consultant to his daughter JC Lee and wife Joan’s
business endeavours before ending up with power of attorney over Lee
after his wife’s death.
“Jerry
Olivarez and JC Lee, Stan and Joan Lee’s only daughter and Trustee of
the Lee Family Trust, are happy to announce the resolution of their
Court dispute,” Olivarez’s attorney Donald Randolph said in a statement
on Wednesday (27 July). “The genesis of this dispute was the unfortunate
manipulation of Stan Lee and his family undertaken by certain
individuals – not named in the lawsuit – which was intended to unfairly
malign Jerry Olivarez.
(VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images)
“These individuals exerted undue influence on the Lee family to accuse Jerry Olivarez of harmful acts which he did not do.”
The
original lawsuit accused Olivarez of firing Lee’s trusted banker and
transferring approximately $4.6m out of his bank without authorisation.
It
also mentioned that Olivarez convinced Lee to sign over power of
attorney to him, and allegedly appointed his own lawyer, Livtak, without
disclosing the conflict of interest.
Before his death, Lee claimed that Olivarez tricked him into loaning a large sum of money, and modified his will.
He alleged fraud, financial abuse of an elder and misappropriation of name and likeness, among other claims.
“Olivarez
abused his relationship of trust with Lee and JC Lee, knowledge of
Lee’s and JC Lee’s confidential business and estate planning operations,
and ability to mislead Lee due his advanced age all in a covert and
intentional effort to dupe Lee into a host of schemes and financial
missteps that benefited Olivarez and disenfranchised Lee,” the complaint
read.
An ambulance was called to his home in Hollywood Hills and took him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died.
Lee
had suffered from pneumonia earlier that year. He also struggled with
vision issues and had revealed in 2016 he could no longer read the
comics he created.
Source:
Stan Lee Elder Abuse Case
Keya Morgan is facing three charges, including false imprisonment and elder abuse, according to Los Angeles police. Morgan, who was arrested in Scottsdale, faced a Maricopa County judge Sunday morning to discuss his extradition back to California. He waived his rights to an extradition hearing.
Full Article & Source: Suspect in Stan Lee elder abuse case to be extradited to CA from AZ
Stan Lee was revered as the genius behind the creation of a pantheon of
superheroes who righted wrongs and defended the weak. But he turned out
to be the one who might have needed rescuing in his final years.
Lee, the former head of the Marvel Comics empire, who personally
co-created pop culture icons including Spider-Man, Black Panther, the
X-Men and the Hulk, died on November 12, 2018, at 95. His estate has
been valued at approximately $50 million. However Lee's legacy has been
clouded by accusations of financial mismanagement and elder abuse,
levied against his daughter, friends, and business associates.
The most carefully planned estate doesn't protect someone before he or
she dies. But in Lee's case, a guardianship might have protected his
assets and quality of life.
In his last years, Lee was ill and grieving the loss of his wife, Joan,
who died in 2017 after nearly 70 years of marriage. He had a
contentious relationship with a changing roster of attorneys and
business managers. He also had a volatile relationship with his only
child.
Months before Lee died, attorneys representing his daughter and former
manager were in court fighting over who represented the Lee family
interests. The court also granted an elder abuse restraining order
against the former manager, according to The Associated Press.
An increasing number of people are living well into their 90s and
beyond, but accompanying health and memory problems make them very
vulnerable to exploitation, giving rise to elder abuse and financial
power of attorney abuse. While a family member may be the official or
unofficial caretaker for the individual, many people can't or shouldn't
rely on family to help manage their personal and financial affairs.
While guardianship is the most restrictive means of providing for the
care of an individual with mental incapacities, other alternatives,
including powers of attorney, are not always the solution to the
problem. While many practitioners recommend powers of attorney as a
means of avoiding guardianship, significant elder abuse can and does
occur through the use of a power of attorney, particularly financial
abuse.
In most states, an agent under a durable power of attorney has no
obligation or duty to report to anyone but the principal. In the case of
incapacitated principals or principals with diminished mental
capabilities, the agent's actions are likely not monitored at all
because the principal is incapable of doing so. In those cases, the
financial abuse may continue for years before it is eventually
discovered and in some instances, it may not be discovered until after
the principal's death.
Guardians, on the other hand, are appointed by and monitored by the
court and are subject to court oversight and various court reporting
requirements, which is why many instances of power of attorney abuse
eventually lead to the institution of court supervised guardianships.
An estimated 1.3 million adults are under the care of guardians ---
either family members or professionals, according to the Senate Aging
Committee. A guardian can have significant authority over the
individual's life, deciding when and where to seek medical care, how
retirement savings will be spent, and who can visit the individual.
In Lee's case, with so many people vying for his attention and assets,
appointing an independent professional guardian might have helped to
reduce the turmoil of his later years.
But guardianships are only as effective as the people appointed as guardians and the system supporting them.
In November 2018, the Senate Aging Committee issued a report recommending ways to improve the guardianship program, including:
Enhanced monitoring of guardianship arrangements;
Criminal background checks on all prospective guardians;
Improved collaboration among government agencies, community organizations, and the courts; and
Training for guardians, family members, and court staff on guardianship responsibilities and on how to spot signs of abuse.
To facilitate its recommendations, the committee announced the
introduction of a bill called the Guardianship Accountability Act. The
proposed bipartisan legislation would also expand the availability of
federal grants to improve the guardianship system.
As an example, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania adopted a new Rule 501
to the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration on August 31,
2018, which implemented a new statewide Guardianship Tracking System
(GTS). The GTS tracks all data pertaining to adult guardianship cases
and is the exclusive electronic filing system with which guardians
report to the court. The GTS includes the filing of inventories and
reports, and its goal is to allow for increased monitoring of guardian
activity while streamlining and improving the guardianship filing
process.
Lee's unfortunate and widely publicized situation can hopefully serve
as a wake-up call to individuals and their families when planning for
their end-of-life care.
Stan Lee
has dropped a $1 billion lawsuit against POW! Entertainment, in which
the Marvel icon claimed he had been duped into signing away the
exclusive right to his name.
The move comes as turmoil continues in Lee’s personal life. The
lawsuit was filed in May, when the 95-year-old Lee was allegedly under
the sway of memorabilia collector Keya Morgan. Morgan is now barred from
contacting Lee or coming within 100 yards of him, under a restraining
order granted on Friday.
A joint statement was issued Monday by Lee and by POW! Entertainment,
now owned by Hong Kong’s Camsing International, announcing that the
suit had been dismissed.
“The whole thing has been confusing to everyone, including myself and
the fans, but I am now happy to be surrounded by those who want the
best for me,” Lee said in the release. “I am thrilled to put the lawsuit
behind me, get back to business with my friends and colleagues at POW!
and launch the next wave of amazing characters and stories!”
In the statement, POW! said it had been working behind the scenes to resolve the dispute out of concern for Lee’s wellbeing.
“We are ecstatic that this ill-founded lawsuit has been dismissed and
we look forward to working with Stan again to develop and produce the
great projects that were put on hold when the lawsuit was filed,” POW!
CEO Shane Duffy said in the statement. “We recently got together with
Stan to discuss our path forward and we and Camsing are pleased with his
overwhelmingly enthusiastic reaction.”
Lee sold POW! to Camsing in 2017. The suit alleged that Lee had
signed over the company without fully reading or understanding the
documents, owing in part to his macular degeneration.
On Friday, attorneys representing Lee obtained a restraining order
against Morgan, pending a hearing on July 26. The application alleged
that Morgan had taken advantage of his closeness to Lee to embezzle
assets worth at least $5 million. Morgan has repeatedly denied any
wrongdoing.
The situation appears to have come to a head in early June, when
Morgan allegedly moved Lee out of his house and into an apartment. The
restraining order alleges that Morgan was trying to isolate Lee from his
financial advisors and relatives in order to assert control over Lee’s
affairs. Morgan and Lee have not been in contact for several weeks, and
Morgan is reportedly out of state.
The iconic figure
whose name is almost synonymous with Marvel Entertainment — perhaps the
biggest name today in cinema — needs help. Stan Lee is the subject of
three separate lawsuits that allege he is the victim of fraud and elder
abuse. And these court filings may simply be the beginning of a much
larger battle over his estate and the right to profit from Stan Lee's
name, image, likeness and more.
Stan Lee
participates in a Q&A during Wizard World Comic Con at Ernest N.
Morial Convention Center on January 6, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
(Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
Throughout the lawsuits and surrounding controversy, there is one
point that is certain. Stan Lee, now age 95, is susceptible to undue
influence. His memory is poor - so bad that a detective's report noted
how he would often forget the name of his closest adviser. He has
macular degeneration, leaving him with vision so faulty that he cannot
read or drive. On top of that, Lee's vision is impaired. Clearly,
he cannot manage his affairs without help from others. In fact, he
recently used social media to ask for help because his Facebook and
Instagram accounts had been hacked.
Reality presents a much different image of Stan Lee than the comedic
appearances he continues to make in Marvel blockbusters, including
Infinity War, Black Panther and the latest movie, Ant Man & The
Wasp.
Until last summer, Lee relied on the love of his life, Joan Lee, his
wife of nearly 70 years. Sadly, Joan passed away after suffering a
stroke on July 6, 2017. Since then, others stepped in to help Lee. But
that's also where the troubles began. Did they want to help Stan Lee
... or take advantage of him? As detailed in the expansive Hollywood Reporter investigative story, several different people have been involved assisting Lee, and the motives of each have been questioned.
Initially, Lee signed a power of attorney appointing a former
publicist, Jerardo Olivarez, to make decisions for him. Olivarez acted
as Lee's caregiver and gatekeeper, helping to broker a deal that
culminated in Lee's business being sold and him signing over exclusive
rights to his name, likeness, and image (to the extent not already
assigned to Disney through the Marvel Entertainment). As widely
reported in the media, a lawsuit was filed on Stan Lee's behalf
challenging the deal and accusing Olivarez and others of committing
fraud. The lawsuit claims that Stan never would have knowingly signed
over his exclusive rights, always wanting to keep the ability to manage
his own publicity rights.
A separate lawsuit filed in Lee's name also accuses Olivarez of fraud
for other transactions. Olivarez received hundreds of thousands of
dollars from Lee. Olivarez says they were gifts. Olivarez has also been
accused of stealing the Marvel icon's blood, to mix with ink to sell to
fans.
Olivarez was replaced as Stan's primary advisor by a collector named Keya Morgan. On June 10th, Stan described Morgan in a post on Twitter,
which included Stan Lee speaking on video, as his partner, only
representative, and business manager. But Morgan himself is the subject
of a recent elder abuse prevention court proceeding. This new case,
filed in Stan Lee's name, resulted in a temporary restraining order
requiring Morgan to stay away from Lee.
Morgan was recently arrested for filing a false police report after
he called 911 to report an armed man threatening Stan Lee at his home.
Reportedly, Morgan had a dispute with a security guard who refused to
sign a nondisclosure agreement, prompting the 911 call. According to
the New York Times,
eight police units and a helicopter responded, but the security guard
was released after police found no evidence of a crime. The elder abuse
case was filed shortly afterwards.
J.C. Lee, Stan Lee's only child and believed to be his sole heir, has
also been in the picture. Former caregivers and staff have accused her
of verbal and physical altercations with Stan and Joan, as well as
being a big-spender, who Stan Lee worries will one day be penniless.
She is said to have first worked with Morgan to oust Olivarez, and then
turned on and ousted Morgan as well. She has not yet been directly
involved in the various court cases filed.
As of now, Stan Lee is represented by an attorney who has recently
been appointed to serve as Stan's guardian ad litem. This means that
the attorney can act on Stan's behalf in the lawsuit he was appointed
in, which so far appears only to be in the most-recent court case, filed
against Morgan. A guardian ad litem would not normally have the
broader ability to protect a vulnerable adult from others and help the
person manage his or her affairs. However, according to the LA Times,
the attorney appointed to fill that role released a statement saying he
will work to protect Stan Lee and his assets, including from undue
influence.
This appears to be a temporary measure, at best. The only way to
truly protect Stan Lee would be through a conservatorship court
proceeding (called guardianship in many states). While many people
misunderstand and often malign the importance of guardianship and
conservatorship court cases, they can be critically important to protect
an elderly adult with physical and/or mental limitations from abuse,
neglect, undue influence, or other harm. They have been used
successfully in many celebrity cases, including Britney Spears, Mickey Rooney, Etta James, Brooke Astor, Casey Kasem and Groucho Marx.
UPDATED with details from legal memo: A judge dismissed a restraining order that sought to permanently bar a memorabilia collector from involvement in Stan Lee’s affairs, citing confusion over who legitimately represented the Marvel Comics icon.
Attorney Tom Lallas said he appeared in court today to argue for a
permanent restraining order against Keya Morgan, who had inserted
himself into Lee’s affairs. Lallas said he was confronted, in court, by
other lawyers who also claimed to represent Lee.
“It was very unusual,” said Lallas, who was asked by the Los Angeles
Police Department detective investigating claims of elder abuse to step
in as legal guardian. “It has never happened to me in 40 years.”
Judge Pro Tem Ruth Kleman, citing the lack of clarity about Lee’s
legal representation, dismissed the request for a permanent restraining
order without prejudice — meaning it could be refiled at any time.
Lallas filed a voluminous 263-page document (read it here)
in state Superior Court supporting Lee’s request for a permanent elder
abuse restraining order against Morgan and for the attorney’s
appointment as Lee’s legal guardian.
Linda Sanchez, Lee’s former nurse and in-home caregiver, said she
witnessed verbal abuse and financial manipulation, both by Morgan as
well as by Lee’s 68-year-old daughter, JC Lee, whom the father describes
as “a vulnerable woman” who is “an easy target for predators.”
Sanchez says JC “screams terrible, abusive things at her father” and
blames him for her problems. The nurse also says that, although she has
not witnessed direct physical abuse, “I have noted numerous bruises to
the right side of Mr. Lee’s body which were unexplained.”
“Mr. Lee has told me privately that he is giving up, after his daily
harassment, and that he believes he has nothing left to live for but to
‘go to sleep’ and ‘die,’ ” Sanchez said in her testimony. “As a result
of everything described above, Mr. Lee falls into very dark and
depressed moods because he doesn’t have the strength or will to fight
anymore.”
The legal documents claim Morgan took control of Lee’s business
affairs and personal life in February and isolated him from the people
Lee was closest to and trusted the most, including his executive
assistant of 20 years Michael Kelly.
“I called Mr. Lee to arrange to meet with him but was told by Morgan
that he would not come to his office at POW! and I would be required to
come to his home,” Kelly said. “I went to his home to meet with him and
Morgan and a bodyguard named Leo were present throughout my meeting with
Mr. Lee … I was not allowed to meet with Mr. Lee privately.”
Lallas alleges Lee was held hostage in his own home. Morgan hired a
security guard to block access to the Oriole Way residence, changed all
of Lee’s phone numbers and tightly controlled his communications. “I was
not permitted to meet or speak with Mr. Lee,” Lallas said. “The Morgan
group also took control of all email communications.”
Morgan was arrested by LAPD on suspicion of filing a false police
report, allegedly concerning a supposed break-in incident at Lee’s
residence. Out on $20,000 bail, Morgan is due in court on the matter
early next month.
At the time of Morgan’s arrest, Lee and his family were granted a
48-hour restraining order against the business manager. Among the various conditions of the order was that Morgan must stay at least 100 yards away from Lee and his home.
The paperwork also states that “Mr. Lee has a large estate worth over
$50 million and therefore is vulnerable to financial predators.”
The move comes two days after Keya Morgan was arrested on suspicion of filing a false report to police.
Stan Lee on Wednesday filed for a restraining order against Keya Morgan, the man he identified just last week as the only person handling his affairs and business, a Los Angeles Superior Court media relations rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Lee was granted a temporary restraining order against Morgan, authorities told THR. The request for a permanent order is 43 pages long. A court date to decide that request is set for July 6.
The restraining order request was filed two days after Morgan was arrested on suspicion of filing a false report to police. Morgan was released from jail on $20,000 bail.
The LAPD is investigating reports of elder abuse against Lee. The investigation began in February, but only became public knowledge on Wednesday.
Former Lee attorney Tom Lallas is now acting as guardian ad litem for Lee.
Days before Morgan's arrest, a 45-second video was posted to Twitter in which Lee made it clear Morgan was the only person with whom he now worked and allowed to represent him. "My only partner and business manager is @KeyaMorgan, not all the other people making false claims," read the post accompanying the video.
In April, THR reported that the 95-year-old Lee — who co-created such legendary comic characters as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Iron Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four, among many others — was caught in the middle of a war of words among those closest to him, all of whom were vying for control over Lee's life, allegedly for their own financial gain.
Morgan, who has long been involved in the pop culture memorabilia scene, was one of the subjects of the lengthy THR investigation. The other parties involved were Lee's 67-year-old daughter, J.C., publicist-turned-caretaker Jerry Olivarez, and Lee's former road manager Max Anderson. Lee's wife of 70 years, Joan, died last July.
A number of celebrities have publicly shared their concern over the creator’s well-being. Sources with knowledge of the situation have told THR that Lee's health has notably declined in recent months and his memory is in poor shape.
In February, Lee signed a declaration (THR obtained a copy) that claimed J.C. demanded money from him and insisted that men with "bad intentions" surrounded Lee and influenced the family to "gain control over my assets, property and money." These individuals included Morgan. The declaration was signed in Lallas' law office.
However, a video of Lee shortly thereafter posted to his Twitter account called the declaration "misleading" and "insulting," and the Marvel creator insisted "my relationship with my daughter has never been better."
At Marvel
in New York in the '60s, he created the comic book characters that
dominate the box office today. But at 95 and reeling from his wife's
death and a fight with his daughter, Lee stands at the center of a nasty
battle for his care (and estate) as one friend pleads for help: "He's
in need of a superhero himself."
Back in early February, fighting what he later called "a little bout of pneumonia," 95-year-old Stan Lee had an argument with his 67-year-old daughter, J.C. This was hardly unusual, but it seems to have been a breaking point.
The comic
book legend — whose creative tenure at the helm of Marvel Comics
beginning in New York in the early 1960s spawned Spider-Man, Black
Panther and the X-Men and laid the foundation for superhero dominance in
Hollywood that continues with the April 27 release of Avengers: Infinity War — sat in the office of his attorney Tom Lallas and signed a blistering declaration.
The Feb. 13 document, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter,
begins with some background, explaining that Lee and his late wife had
arranged a trust for their daughter because she had trouble supporting
herself and often overspent. "It is not uncommon for J.C. to charge, in
any given month, $20,000 to $40,000 on credit cards, sometimes more,"
the document states. It goes on to describe how, when he and his
daughter disagree — "which is often" — she "typically yells and screams
at me and cries hysterically if I do not capitulate."
Lee explains
that J.C. will, "from time to time," demand changes to her trust,
including the transfer of properties into her name. He has resisted such
changes, he states, because they "would greatly increase the likelihood
of her greatest fear: that after my death, she will become homeless and
destitute."
The declaration then explicates how three men with
"bad intentions" — Jerardo "Jerry" Olivarez, Keya Morgan and J.C.'s
attorney, Kirk Schenck — had improperly influenced his daughter, a woman
with "very few adult friends." The document claims the trio has
"insinuated themselves into relationships with J.C. for an ulterior
motive and purpose": to take advantage of Lee and "gain control over my
assets, property and money."
Lee's estate is estimated to be worth
between $50 million and $70 million (it's been reported he receives $1
million a year for his Marvel ties). And while his primary role with the
company is now mostly ceremonial — including a cameo in nearly every
film — he remains a deity in fanboy culture. Despite the fact that his
health requires nursing care at home and on the road, up until his most
recent illness, Lee was a jovial regular at international comic
conventions, where he can draw thousands of paying autograph seekers.
A
few days after the declaration was notarized, however, Lee changed his
mind — or someone did. Whatever happened, Lallas was soon out as Lee's
attorney in a confrontation that grew tense enough that the LAPD was
called to the legend's Hollywood Hills home.
Morgan and J.C. began
consolidating their power over Lee. Mike Kelly, Lee's assistant for
nearly a quarter-century who used to come by the house most days for
one-on-one meetings, was limited to weekly pre-approved and supervised
visits. A new accountant (Vince Maguire, Tobey's brother and Morgan's
friend) was hired. The housekeeper and gardener, who had been with Lee
for decades, were sent packing. And a revolving door of lawyers were
retained over six weeks until the pair introduced Lee to his current
counsel, Jonathan Freund.
Lee's phone number has been changed, and
his emails are being monitored and composed by Morgan. ("Stan Lee has
macular degeneration and his eyes cannot see small letters," Morgan
explains. "I have been taking him to the eye doctor and reading his
e-mails for him for many years. This is his request, and he thanks me
for helping him.")
When Morgan learned that THR had
obtained a copy of the seemingly damning declaration, he filmed a video
of Lee distancing himself from the document. In the clip, while Lee
doesn't deny signing the declaration, he calls its contents "totally
incorrect, inaccurate, misleading and insulting." (Lallas says he went
through the contents with Lee "word by word, line by line.")
In
the video, an animated and robust Lee goes on to state that "my
relationship with my daughter has never been better, and my friend Keya
Morgan and I also have a great relationship … anybody who is saying
anything [else] … is just spreading lies."
J.C. declined to speak with THR.
Instead, Schenck, her lawyer, says "the story isn't that J.C. is taking
advantage of her father, but that she's potentially being taken
advantage of by multiple men." Lee himself remains mostly silent, except
for the brief recorded statements coordinated and released by Morgan.
However,
nearly all of the other players in the messy drama over Lee's estate
and well-being are speaking out. Their often conflicting stories reveal
an increasingly toxic and combative situation involving broken
alliances, abrupt expulsions and allegations of elder abuse against one
of America's most influential and beloved cultural icons. On several
occasions, the turmoil drew the attention of law enforcement.
Says one longtime insider: It's "an utter shit show."
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Lee and Joanie in Beverly Hills in 2012. During their 69 years of marriage, she kept their household in order.
As much as Stan Lee's public life was defined by his fame and
achievements, his family was shaped by the forceful personalities of his
strong-willed, England-born, former-model wife, Joan, and their
long-troubled dilettante daughter. In their charmed seven-decade
marriage, Joanie (as everyone called her) had urged Lee to take key
professional risks, most notably to create the Fantastic Four —
revolutionary at the time for being superheroes with real flaws — while
she maintained the resolute last word on the couple's household affairs.
Until
recently, Lee and Joanie had been blessed with the good fortune of
surviving into their 90s with mental acuity and physical agility that
wowed those around them. But Joanie's death from a stroke on July 6 at
age 95 marked the end of their evening martini ritual at home in the
exclusive Bird Streets of the Hollywood Hills (Leonardo DiCaprio is a
neighbor) — and the beginning of pandemonium.
Signs abounded that
chaos would reign if Joanie were the first to die. There was Lee's
people-pleasing habit of telling whoever was in front of him whatever
they wanted to hear, his history of bad financial decisions (like never
properly cashing in on Marvel) and his susceptibility to bad actors
(including a doomed partnership called Stan Lee Media with Peter F.
Paul, a convicted drug dealer). Add to this Lee's Depression-bred
distrust of banks, leading to rumors he'd hid millions in cash all over
his property.
Joanie was always more successful at handling their
unruly only daughter, with whom Stan has a powder-keg relationship.
Though some with an intimate knowledge of the household speak of her
vivacious spirit and kindness, the never-married J.C. also has a
reputation as a prodigious shopper with an ill-tempered personality who
has been kicked out of multiple businesses around Los Angeles,
including, according to a dining companion at the time, the Chateau
Marmont. She's chafed at what she sees as unjust restrictions on her
trust and has taken that out on her father. According to medical
personnel who have cared for Lee, J.C.'s badgering, often insulting
phone calls to her father (which can number in the dozens a day and
which, out of a mix of guilt and love, he nearly always answers)
frequently leave him hoarse from fighting. "For any little thing, she'll
argue," says a former caregiver. "She's very inconsiderate."
According
to household staff and business associates, there have been times when
J.C.'s verbal outbursts have turned physical. One incident took place in
winter 2014, explains Lee's former business and asset manager Bradley
J. Herman, after J.C. discovered that the new Jaguar convertible parked
outside, which she thought had been purchased for her, was in fact only
leased — and in her father's name. Herman, in Stan's office to handle
some paperwork, recalls that the argument spiraled out of control after
J.C. called her parents "fucking stupid" and Joanie told her the car was
"now [Joanie's.]"
According to Herman — whose active Hollywood
client list he keeps private but who previously worked for Johnny Carson
and Frank Sinatra — J.C. then roughly grabbed her mother by one arm,
shoving her against a window. Joanie fell to the carpeted floor. Lee,
seated in a nearby chair and looking stunned, told J.C. he was cutting
her off: "I'm going to stick you in a little apartment and take away all
your credit cards!" Herman recalls Lee shouting. "I've had it, you
ungrateful bitch!" In "a rage," J.C. took hold of Lee's neck, slamming
his head against the chair's wooden backing. Joanie suffered a large
bruise on her arm and burst blood vessels on her legs; Lee had a
contusion on the rear of his skull. (J.C. has previously denied the
incident.)
Shortly afterward, allegedly at Joanie's behest, Herman took photos that purport to show her injuries, which he shared with THR
(another visitor to the house shortly thereafter confirms the wounds).
Herman contends the parents asked him not to pursue the matter with
police, wary of publicity and law enforcement for their daughter, whom
they viewed as emotionally fragile and who they told intimates was still
haunted — even as a senior citizen herself — by the bullying of her
childhood.
Olivarez, one of the "three men" named with "bad intentions" in
Lee's Feb. 13 declaration, has known him since 2010. A
florist-turned-publicist, Olivarez initially entered the fold as a
consultant to J.C. and Joanie's various go-nowhere creative endeavors
(including a Swarovski crystal-studded tie line) before ending up with
power of attorney over Lee after Joanie's death and the title of "senior
advisor" that sounds more glamorous than the reality: the grind of
caretaking. Olivarez handled doctors' appointments and found new nurses
for Lee. "He said, 'I rely on Jerry,'" Olivarez recalls Lee telling him.
Still,
Olivarez's newfound prominence put him on a collision course with two
men who had their own long-standing surrogate-son relationships with
Lee. The first was Max (nee Mac) Anderson, a burly and brusque figure
with a criminal record who had worked for more than a decade as Lee's
road manager, handling appearances and running a pop-up memorabilia
exhibition on the Comic-Con circuit called the Stan Lee Museum. And then
there was the bowler-hatted Keya Morgan, a noted dealer in rare
memorabilia and artifacts pertaining to American cultural figures
(particularly Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson) who has turned his
attention to producing, including an attempt to jump-start a Lee biopic.
By
December, Olivarez, who has a decades-long history of financial liens,
had been iced out of Lee's life. Morgan and Anderson accused him of
writing himself a $300,000 check and buying an $850,000 condo with
misappropriated Lee funds.
"Mr. Lee told me I had given him a new
lease on life after Mrs. Lee's passing," Olivarez says. "I had looked
out for him during recent contract negotiations with Pow!
[Entertainment, the production company Lee co-founded in 2001.] He gave
me a check as a thank-you." As for the condo, Olivarez claims Lee is on
the title and that, because of unspecified death threats Olivarez had
received, Lee had wanted him to live close in "a secure building where
he thought I'd be safe."
According to Olivarez, Morgan and
Anderson felt threatened by his clout with Lee and fabricated these
charges to drive a wedge between them. He says Morgan wanted Lee to quit
Pow! and enter into an arrangement with a business contact of Morgan's,
and he became upset when Olivarez thwarted that plan. Meanwhile,
Olivarez says Anderson grew hostile when he scrutinized Anderson's claim
that he owned the artifacts in the Stan Lee Museum outright, rather
than possessing them on loan. (Olivarez provided an Aug. 7, 2017,
declaration in which Lee asserts he and Anderson split the proceeds of
the museum 50/50, that all memorabilia he provided to Anderson for
display was "only on loan" and that Lee "could revoke the loan at any
time." For his part, Anderson shared an undated document signed by Lee
asserting the materials were given to the museum "as personal gifts.")
Olivarez
believes Morgan led a "smear campaign" against him that continues to
this day. He cites a recent attempt to taint an idea he calls a "cool"
merchandising effort — blending Lee's blood into special "DNA" ink used
in pens and stamps — into something sinister. He says that while J.C.
helped originate the idea and Lee was on board, in an effort to
discredit Olivarez, Morgan has been spreading lies that he stole the
blood (including speaking with TMZ, which trumpeted that Lee's "Business
Associate Is a Bloodsucker!!!" on April 2). Olivarez notes that Lee's
physician not only approved of the endeavor but also is a signatory on
each item's certificate of authenticity. (While Morgan does not deny
speaking with the media when called, he denies being the source of
leaks.)
"There's a reason [Morgan and Anderson] wanted me out of there," says Olivarez. "If I'm there, there are no shenanigans."
Not
long after Olivarez was ousted, Morgan turned on Anderson, setting up a
combustible battle of personalities: Morgan is a gossipy, fast-talking
name-dropper in designer suits who frequently threatens to litigate to
intimidate; Anderson's blunt and growly demeanor is intimidating on its
own. Now each is attempting to position himself as the hero of Lee's
story, the other as its villain.
Morgan, who attended Peter
Parker's alma mater, Forest Hills High School in Queens, keeps a
sculpture of Spider-Man in his bedroom. ("I think it's a character
greater than Mickey Mouse, greater than Zeus.") Anderson, meanwhile,
commissioned a life-sized fiberglass statue of Lee, bedecked with a pair
of Lee's Ray-Ban glasses ("Joanie put them there herself") that resides
in his living room. Anderson believes Morgan systematically moved to
eliminate him from the fold beginning in January by leaking his criminal
record (Anderson had been convicted in Riverside, California, of
domestic violence against his wife in 2002, serving a year in prison
plus 36 months' probation, then was given another 36 months' probation
and anger management for a second domestic incident in 2010). Anderson
says Morgan also planted a series of damaging news stories about his
alleged failings as Lee's tour manager, including one involving his
alleged culpability for an incident during which a masseuse accused Lee
of sexual improprieties in his hotel suite during a Chicago convention.
(Morgan denied leaking the story.)
What is certain is that
Anderson was excommunicated from the inner circle on Feb. 16, ostensibly
for his alleged theft of items for the museum, for allegedly skimming
money from Lee's appearance fees, and for his lax management on tour —
all of which he vehemently denies. Now Morgan and Anderson are engaged
in an ongoing war that has engulfed Lee's staff.
For example, in a video shared with THR,
one of Lee's nurses tearfully informs J.C. and Morgan that Anderson
flagged her down on the street and offered her $50,000 to sign a
declaration saying that Lee was being held against his will. Anderson
acknowledges that he asked her to make such a statement, believing it to
represent the truth, but maintains, "I did not bribe her. I only
promised her one simple thing — to protect her. I said the police will
protect her. I said, 'You are mandated to report if you see something
wrong.' She said, 'I am an immigrant, and I can't get involved in
anything.'"
Anderson points out that he already "did my time" for
his convictions and "we do things in life that we regret." He says it's
ironic that Morgan might be leaking his prison records, since Morgan
himself is on 24 months' probation and required to complete a 12-session
anger management program for a criminal threat conviction. "He's making
an issue of something about me, which happened way before [his
association with] Stan, while he has something that happened during his
time with Stan. Who's calling the kettle black?" (Click to Continue)
