The extending order that Marvel legend Stan Lee has had in place against former business adviser Keya Morgan has been upheld and extended by three years. Morgan did not appear in court to protest the ruling.
Page Six reported the results of the proceeding, which took place on August 18, 2018. The previous order Lee had against Morgan, which required the latter to stay away from Lee and his family, was only temporary. The Los Angeles Superior Court Judge who presided over the hearing has now made the order permanent.
Lee, 95, has been embroiled in a power struggle with Morgan for quite some time. A prior case involved Jerry Olivarez, another employee who Lee says stole artwork, took vials of his blood to sell, and finagled him out of donations to charities that did not exist.
Morgan denies any wrongdoing, but Lee has accused him of similar crimes. Variety reports that Jonathan Freund, Lee’s attorney, appeared on his behalf in court to request the restraining order be made permanent. Lee accuses Morgan of stealing artwork from his home to sell, and stole cash Lee received for autographs. Morgan is also accused of elder abuse, for allegedly moving Lee to an apartment away from his family and other caregivers on June 8. It is believed this was an attempt to isolate and manipulate Lee, who was safely returned after three days away from his family.
“Stan is doing pretty well,” Freund said outside court. “He’s working again, and his health is improving. He’s still creating characters.”
In fact, Lee posted a humorous video just this morning, which shows he is in good health.
In his newest video, Stan addresses an issue several of you have commented on recently. pic.twitter.com/IH2YsApcd1
— Stan Lee (@TheRealStanLee) August 17, 2018
The restraining order also states that Morgan is not allowed within 100 feet of Lee’s daughter, J.C. Lee, and his brother, Larry Lieber. It was granted by commissioner Lydia Horowitz. Morgan also has misdemeanor charges for allegedly making false reports.
Olivarez, the other party accused of theft, and Morgan are both believed to have taken advantage of Lee’s despair after wife Joan Lee’s death in 2017. Allegedly, Olivarez stole millions of dollars and solicited a false donation to “Hands of Respect,” a charity that does not actually exist.
Things took an even more dramatic turn when Lee was allegedly coerced into donating vials of blood for sale to benefit the charity. Olivarez was also accused of stealing $1.4 million from Lee’s accounts.
Lee’s living situation has been in flux since his wife passed. Now that the order has been extended, it will hopefully bring about some much-needed stability to Lee’s home life.
