Who Was Eugene Landy, the Psychologist Who Almost Ruined Brian Wilson’s Career and Life?
As seen in Love & Mercy, Brian Wilson received psychiatric help from Eugene Landy — even if the controversial doctor lost his license to practice psychology as a result. Here’s what we know about Landy and his relationship with the Beach Boy.
Brian Wilson appeared as a founding member of the Beach Boys
Along with Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine, Brian Wilson became a founding member of the surf rock group, the Beach Boys. He took on an additional role as a songwriter, creating “In My Room,” “Surf’s Up,” “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times,” and “God Only Knows.”
By the 1970s, however, Wilson became a heavy abuser of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and LSD. According to Biography.com, he had several mental breakdowns due to his drug consumption. By the mid-1970s, the Wilson family enlisted the help of Eugene Landy.
Who was Brian Wilson’s controversial psychologist Eugene Landy?
After receiving his doctorate, Landy became a doctor to stars like Alice Cooper and Rod Steiger. He added Wilson to his roster, diagnosing him as a “paranoid schizophrenic.” He began aggressively medicating the Beach Boy, also implementing a strict fitness routine for the artist.
“The first couple of years, he wasn’t very friendly with me,” Wilson said during an interview with The NY Post. “He could be very stern — that was pretty rough.”
As time passed, Landy reigned in Wilson’s drug addiction, also aiding his mental and physical health. The same Biography artist also noted Landy exploited Wilson’s dependency on him, writing that Landy went “as far as to convince Wilson to list him as a collaborator on several songs on his 1988 debut, self-titled solo album, as well as a beneficiary in his will.”
In 1991, Wilson’s family sued Landy. As a result, Landy lost his license to practice psychology and had a restraining order placed on him. Landy died in 2006.
Beach Boys fans can learn more about Brian Wilson (and Eugene Landy) in the biopic ‘Love & Mercy’
Wilson continued to receive help for his mental health problems. The biopic Love & Mercy detailed Wilson’s relationship with Melinda Ledbetter, as well as his experiences with the doctor.
“After I first saw the film, I had to just drive around for a couple of hours to clear my head,” Ledbetter said in the same article from The Post. “Then I remembered that what Landy did to Brian was even worse. You don’t get a sense of it in the movie, but it happened on a daily basis, for years.”
After receiving treatment for his mental health and substance abuse, Wilson returned to the stage. In 2022, he performed alongside Al Jardine in co-headlining concerts with Chicago. Music by the Beach Boys, as well as Wilson’s original songs, are available on most major streaming platforms.
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
