Names and faces
It has been another epic year for characters Stan Lee helped create, with Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War earning more than $3 billion combined globally and
Ant-Man and the Wasp still to open next week, all three featuring the clever cameos beloved by devoted fans of the
Marvel Comics mastermind. But for Lee himself, the past year has been tough and tumultuous. After the death last July of
Joan, his wife of 69 years, the 95-year-old has found himself in the middle of a fight over his finances and legacy that has led to lawsuits, a restraining order and a police investigation of elder abuse. Into the void left behind by Joan Lee poured many acquaintances seeking a part of her popular and accommodating husband, and holdings his lawyer estimates are worth between $50 million to $70 million. Key to Lee’s situation is his only child, 68-year-old Joan Celia “JC” Lee, according to a sworn declaration signed by Lee in February that was drafted by attorney Tom Lallas. Several “bad actors with bad intentions … have insinuated themselves into relationships with JC … to try to take advantage of me to gain control of my assets, property and money,” the declaration said. Lallas was fired after drafting the declaration, according to a February story in The Hollywood Reporter. One of the “bad actors” named in the document, Keya Morgan, a memorabilia dealer, appeared to gain control over Lee’s life and affairs for the next several months. Morgan has denied that he has had any intentions other than helping Lee. On May 30, Morgan left Lee’s side briefly and returned to find that he was shut out as detectives and a social worker interviewed Lee to investigate elder abuse. Morgan called 911 to report the authorities as burglars, which led to his arrest and jailing on suspicion of reporting a false emergency. Lallas returned and was granted an elder-abuse restraining order against Morgan. It’s unclear who currently surrounds Lee and is managing his affairs. Morgan’s restraining order does not allege he engaged in physical abuse of Lee, but that he isolated him from associates, friends and relatives, which is considered a form of elder abuse. None of the turmoil, however, has kept Lee from making another of his signature cameos in the latest Marvel movie, AntMan and the Wasp.
Drake’s Scorpion has set a record for most one-day streams for an album on Apple Music. The streaming platform says the album has logged more than 170 million streams worldwide since its release Friday, more than doubling Drake’s prior one-day record on Apple Music with last year’s More Life. The 25-track Scorpion includes the No. 1 hits “Nice for What” and “God’s Plan.” The album features Michael Jackson on a previously unreleased track as well as collaborations with Jay-Z and Ty Dolla $ign. The album is expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.