Eugene Ellsworth Landy (November 26, 1934 – March 22, 2006) was an American psychologist known for his controversial 24-hour therapy program and treatment of celebrity clients. Landy's regimen involved supervising and micromanaging his client's life with a team of counselors and doctors. His most notable patient was the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, with whom he formed a business and creative partnership in the 1980s.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Landy aspired to show business as a teenager, working odd jobs as a radio producer, and was an early manager to guitarist George Benson. During the 1960s, Landy studied psychology, earning his doctorate at the University of Oklahoma. After moving to Los Angeles, he treated many celebrity clients, including musician Alice Cooper and actors Richard Harris, Rod Steiger, Maureen McCormick, and Gig Young.
Brian Wilson became a patient of Landy's program in 1975. Landy was discharged within a year due to his burdensome fees. In 1982, Landy was re-employed as Wilson's therapist, subsequently becoming his executive producer, business manager, co-songwriter, and business adviser. Landy co-wrote and co-produced Wilson's first two solo projects, Brian Wilson (1988) and the unreleased Sweet Insanity (1990), and allegedly ghostwrote portions of Wilson's first memoir Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story (1991).
In 1989, the state of California revoked Landy's professional license amidst accusations of ethical violations and patient misconduct. Although Landy ceased to be Wilson's psychologist on legal record, Landy continued to act as Wilson's business partner until a 1992 restraining order barred Landy from contacting the musician ever again. Landy then continued his practice with licensure in New Mexico and Hawaii until his death from lung cancer at the age of 71. His treatment of Wilson was dramatized in the 2014 biopic Love & Mercy, in which Landy is portrayed by Paul Giamatti.
Background
Eugene Ellsworth Landy was born on November 26, 1934, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the only child of Jules C. Landy, a medical doctor and psychology professor,
While serving the hospital, Landy became cultured in the language used by its teenagers.
Around 1972, Landy founded a Beverly Hills clinic, the Foundation for the Rechanneling of Emotions and Education (FREE). Unusually, he had his own press kit. At Landy's insistence, Wilson appeared on Saturday Night Live, choosing to perform a solo piano rendition of "Good Vibrations" which received mixed feedback. In 1977, Wilson was asked if Landy had too much control; he said, "I thought so, but there was nothing I could do about it and I eventually gave in to it. ... [He had] control of my life legally through the commitment of my wife. ... He definitely helped me. It cost over a hundred thousand dollars – he charged a hell of a lot per month." Wilson then reported that Landy was replaced with a different doctor. Six months after meeting Wilson, she had reported Landy to the state's attorney general, who informed her that nothing could be done without the cooperation of Wilson's family. Ledbetter felt that the family had been at their "rope's end" with Wilson, and that they did not know what to do to help him. She said that three years into their relationship, Landy ordered Wilson to sever ties with her.
Music and business associations
Between 1983 and 1986, Landy charged about $430,000 annually, forcing Wilson's family members to devote some publishing rights to his fee. In 2015, Wilson remembered of the song: "we were just having a good time. ... it was fun."
In late 1987, Landy and Wilson became creative partners in a company called Brains and Genius, a business venture where each member would contribute equally and share any profits from recordings, films, soundtracks, or books. This prompted the record's co-producer P.F. Sloan to pen a letter to Billboard that refuted Landy's claim. Sloan later surmised that Landy had made the claim in order to gain credibility and appease members of the medical community who were questioning why Landy felt that he was an appropriate songwriting collaborator for Wilson.
For the publishing of Wilson's autobiographic memoir, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story, Landy stood to earn 30% of its proceeds. The book glorifies Landy and its contents were challenged for plagiarism. Landy denied accusations that he was involved as a ghostwriter. Wilson later distanced himself from the book. In a 1995 court case, Wilson's lawyers argued that HarperCollins were aware that Wilson's statements in the book were either manipulated or written by Landy.
State intervention
Action was taken against Landy's professional practice as a result of the Beach Boys' and Wilson family's struggles for control.
In February 1988, the State of California Board of Medical Quality charged Landy with ethical and license code violations stemming from the improper prescription of drugs and various unethical personal and professional relationships with patients, citing one case of sexual misconduct with a female patient, along with Wilson's psychological dependency on Landy. Landy denied the allegations, but later admitted to one of the seven charges which accused him of wrongfully prescribing drugs to Wilson. Landy surrendered his psychological license, complying with an agreement made with the state of California, and was not allowed applications for reinstatement for the next two years.