On June 7, 2018, Buzz Aldrin, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and the second man to walk on the moon, filed a lawsuit against two of his children, Andrew and Janice Aldrin, and his former business manager, Christina Korp. The lawsuit responds to a May 2018 Florida Court filing in which Andrew Aldrin, Janice Aldrin, and Christina Korp requested appointment as Buzz Aldrin’s legal guardians due to Buzz’s “cognitive decline” and his recent episodes of paranoia and confusion. Buzz Aldrin’s lawsuit claims Andrew Aldrin and Christina Korp took control of his “personal credit cards, bank accounts, trust money, space memorabilia, space artifacts, social media accounts, and all elements of the Buzz Aldrin brand.” If proven at trial, such claims could result in damages for elder exploitation and fraud.
Buzz Aldrin alleges that Andrew Aldrin and Christina Korp transferred nearly $500,000 from Aldrin’s accounts into a private company and foundation over the past two years. In response to these allegations, Andrew and Janice Aldrin said that “when we established the current structure [of the foundation] several years ago, it was done so at Buzz’s request and with his full support.” Further, Andrew and Janice Aldrin said the money was used to carry their father’s legacy forward for generations to come.
As is common practice in guardianship proceedings, a professor conducted a psychological evaluation and determined that Buzz Aldrin is “cognitively intact and retains all forms of decisional capacity.” Buzz Aldrin’s attorney also stated that a further competency exam would be conducted later this week by a panel of three court appointed mental health specialists.
Unfortunately, it is common for cases such as this to divide families as they consider the appropriate care for aging relatives. If you are concerned about a loved one’s well-being and feel they may be the victim of elder abuse or are in need of a legal guardian, please call us at (704) 457-1010 to schedule a consultation. For more information regarding our firm, attorneys, and practice areas, please visit our website at https://lindleylawoffice.com/.
