Although Stan Lee died in November of 2018, his legacy continues to live on, immortalized in massive comic book movies, fondly remembered cameos, and a host of brightly colored characters beloved by millions. And also in the form of some other, more depressing stuff, as with the charges of alleged manipulation and elder abuse committed against Lee that were a topic of much discussion in the final years of his life, after the 2017 death of his wife Joan, who worked tirelessly to protect her husband from those hoping to capitalize on his legendary name. We’ve written at length over the last few years about the web of accusations and back-biting erupting between various camps in Lee’s inner circle since then, each accusing the other of taking advantage of the former comics editor in a variety of gross and depressing ways.
Now at least one of those sets of accusations has borne legal fruit, with THR reporting that Arizona police have arrested Lee’s former business manager, Keya Morgan, on suspicion of elder abuse in association with his treatment of Lee. Morgan was charged earlier this month in Los Angeles, and is now being extradited back there; he’s accused, among other things, of trying to convince Lee that his life was in danger so that he could be moved to a location that Morgan controlled, and of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his former employer. For the record, Morgan is not the former manager accused of stealing Lee’s blood to sell as a collectible in Vegas, because Jesus Fucking Christ, this story.
Morgan has had bail set at $300,000; meanwhile, it’s not clear if charges will also be brought against other people allegedly involved in this whole dispiriting situation, including Jerardo “Jerry” Olivarez (the blood guy) or Lee’s former road manager, Max Anderson.