Buzz Aldrin goes after his family for "Exploitation of Elders"

Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, sued two of his children and a former director of business to keep control of his finances, business, and inheritance.

Buzz Aldrin, 88, filed the lawsuit in Florida on June 7, details of which are now available online, courtesy of Ars Technica. The trial is against two of his three children, Andrew and Janice Aldrin, and his former business director, Christina Korp. Aldrin is trying to keep control of Buzz Aldrin Enterprises and its nonprofit ShareSpace Foundation, after his children and Korp asked the Florida state in May to name them as co-legal guardians, claiming that Aldrin is in "cognitive decline" and experiencing fits of paranoia and confusion. The former astronaut and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom alleges that the family engages in the exploitation of elders by co-opting his inheritance and seizing his money and property.

"Dr. Aldrin considers it unfortunate and discouraging that he was forced into this situation," his lawyer, Robert W. Bauer, told NASA Watch. "However, Dr. Aldrin knows that it is necessary to protect his future and his vision for the US space program."

The lawsuit claims that "Andrew and Korp took control and access to" personal credit cards, bank accounts, trust funds, space memorabilia, space artifacts, social media accounts and all elements of the brand Buzz Aldrin "of Aldrin, and that the duo has The lawsuit alleges that Andrew and Korp have established" a de facto tutelage over the plaintiff ", while accusing Janice of conspiracy and breach of fiduciary duty. (that is, an obligation to act in the best interest of another party).

Elder Aldrin says that Andrew and Korp have transferred nearly half a million dollars from his savings account to his private company and his foundation for their own purposes, and that They have been slandering him for years claiming that he is suffering from dementia. Alzheimer. This tactic, alleges the lawsuit, allowed the pair to have access to his personal relationships, business contacts and other property. The lawsuit claims that "Andrew and Janice prohibited Aldrin from getting married for the fourth time, and that they" specifically and deliberately … undermined, intimidated and defamed "all his personal romantic relationships. The lawsuit seeks to remove Andy as trustee of control of his estate, and restore Aldrin's access to his memories of space, and other assets.

The court documents also accuse Andrew of exploiting the elderly. Aldrin "is a vulnerable adult, as defined by the laws of Florida … due to the 88-year-old's advanced age of the plaintiff", alleges that Andrew has "knowingly and by deception or intimidation" deprive him of his finances, his property and knowledge of his business.

In response, Andy and Janice Aldrin published this statement:

We are deeply disappointed and saddened by the unjustified lawsuit that was brought against us individually and against the Foundation that we built together as a family to perpetuate Papa's legacy for generations to come. When we established the current structure several years ago, it was done at the request of Buzz and with its full support. If nothing else, our family is resilient and our ability to work together to solve problems and accomplish great things is strong. We love and respect our father a lot and keep hope that we can rise above this situation and rediscover the strong relationship that built this foundation in the first place.

We will not comment on the lawsuit and we will ask you to understand and respect the privacy of our family during this extremely difficult time.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, a professor at UCLA Medical School conducted a psychological assessment of Aldrin in April and concluded that it is "cognitively intact and retains all forms of decision-making capability." That said, the family requested that Aldrin undergoes a proficiency examination because they say that he associates with new people who seem to be manipulating him. "Aldrin's lawyer says that a proficiency examination by three specialists in court-appointed mental health is scheduled for later this week.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for families to face each other like this, and must then consult a lawyer. The next year marks the 50th anniversary of the landing on the Apollo 11 Moon. It is shameful to think that the Aldrin family, instead of celebrating this anniversary together, could be mired in a lawsuit. judicial against each other.

[Ars Technica, NASA Watch, Wall Street Journal]