Why Brian Wilson’s Ex-Wife Sued Him After He Sold His Song Rights for $50M
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys recently sold his song rights to Universal Music Publishing Group, facing legal trouble with his ex-wife Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford as a result. She claims Wilson owes her $6.7 million because of the songs she “helped write” during the marriage.
Brian Wilson was married to Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford
Along with brothers Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine, Brian Wilson was a founding member of the Beach Boys. He took on an added role as a songwriter for the group, also getting married in 1964.
Wilson and Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford were married for over a decade — from 1964 until 1978. During this time, the Beach Boys released some of their biggest songs.
Pet Sounds debuted in 1966, complete with “Sloop John B” and “God Only Knows.” Other Beach Boys tracks released during that time include “California Girls,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Good Vibrations.”
Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford sued Brian Wilson for $6.7 million
After being married during the height of the Beach Boys’ success, Wilson-Rutherford received 50% ownership over Wilson’s songwriting royalties. This became a problem when Wilson made a deal with Universal Music Publishing Group to sell his song rights. Consequently, Wilson-Rutherford sued her ex-husband for $6.7 million.
“This is a business dispute between Brian and his ex-wife over who owns ‘copyright termination interests’ in songs Brian wrote or helped write during their marriage,” Wilson’s attorneys said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
“With this filing, we are simply asking that the dispute be resolved in federal court,” the statement continues, “where we think it should be. We will have no further comment on this matter, and let the filings speak for themselves.”
The same website reports that in the lawsuit, “UMPG paid Wilson nearly $32 million for his songwriter share, and another $19 million for his reversion rights. (Artists in the U.S. can reclaim the rights to their songs about 35 years after signing them away because of the copyright act of 1976, these are known as reversion or termination rights).”
Wilson’s legal counsel states Wilson-Rutherford is not entitled to money from the reversion deal because the divorce happened over 30 years before the Universal Music Publishing Group partnership.
Who is Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys’ wife, Melinda Ledbetter?
In 1995, Wilson married the former model and car salesperson, Melinda Ledbetter. The couple adopted 5 children together and are still married today, with Ledbetter taking on an added role as a talent manager. Their relationship is explored further in the biopic Love & Mercy.
“I remember meeting her at her dealership, Cadillac, and I said, ‘God, she’s a pretty girl. That’s a pretty girl,’” Wilson said during an interview with ABC’s Nightline. “I just said to myself, ‘God, I think I’ll see her again sometime.’”
