A former business manager of Stan Lee has been charged with five counts of elder abuse against the late Marvel Comics mogul.
A request for a restraining order filed last year by Lee’s daughter alleged Keya Morgan was manipulating the mentally declining Lee, preventing him from seeing family and friends, and trying to take control of his money and business affairs.
The charges filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors against the 43-year-old Morgan include theft, embezzlement, forgery or fraud against an elder adult, and false imprisonment of an elder adult. A misdemeanour count also alleges elder abuse.
The charges date to June, when Morgan was working closely with Lee, who died in November.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Morgan. His lawyer Alex Kessel said Morgan is not guilty.
He said: “He has never abused or taken advantage of Mr Lee in any way. We expect him to be completely exonerated of all charges.”
In June, lawyers for the 95-year-old Lee and his daughter Joan C Lee were granted a restraining order against Morgan that barred contact with Lee and revealed that police were investigating Morgan for elder abuse.
Lee, co-creator of such characters as Spider-Man, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, was for decades the face of Marvel Comics. His movie cameos, still emerging after his death in films like Avengers: Endgame, are a beloved element of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
