Stan Lee isn't having a spectacular 2018. The Marvel mastermind has dealt with everything from robberies to health worries, and now he believes there are lies being spread about his condition. After an explosive article was published earlier this week claiming Stan Lee was the victim of elder abuse, the comic book creator addressed the distressing allegations. In his recent statement, Lee says these claims are not only false but "hateful" and "harmful."
As Stan Lee notes in the video (via TMZ), the Marvel figurehead believes the allegations being made about him and his friends are absolute "slander."
You people have been publishing the most hateful, harmful material about me and about my friend, Keya [Morgan], and some others. Material that is totally incorrect, totally based on slander, totally the type of thing that I'm going to sue your ass off [for] when I get a chance. You have been accusing me and my friends of doing things that are so unrealistic and unbelievable that I don't know what to say.
Not only does Stan Lee claim he is not being mistreated, but he believes those making the allegations might have be targeting the comic book legend and his staff. Lee believes there's no evidence to be found, and he threatens to take people who made these claims to court.
It's as if you suddenly have a personal vendetta against me and against the people I work with. Well, I want you to know that I'm going to spend every penny that I have to put a stop to this, and to make you sorry that you've suddenly gone on a one man campaign against someone with no proof, no evidence, no anything, but you have decided that people are mistreating me and therefore, you are going to publish those articles. I'm going to get the best and the most expensive lawyers I can, and I want you to know, if you don't stop these articles and publish retractions, I am going to sue your ass off.
These elder abuse allegations originate from an article published by The Hollywood Reporter a few days earlier. In the heartbreaking article, they claim Stan Lee -- the creator of iconic comic characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, to only name a few -- might need a hero himself. The article says the 95-year-old has received physical and psychological abuse by his daughter, J.C. Lee, and that three men, including Keya Morgan, his primary caregiver, have tried to take advantage of J.C. in order to "gain control" over his assets, property, and money. It is worth noting that Keya was the one who recorded the video statement transcribed above. The article naturally received a lot of attention, with Kevin Smith offering to let Stan Lee live in his house if need be. According to Lee himself, however, that won't be necessary, since he believes these abuse accusations are falsified.
Beyond this recent article and the allegations it makes, Stan Lee has been dealing with many difficulties over these past few months. Last week, for instance, it was revealed that his stolen blood was being sold in Las Vegas with copies of Black Panther comics. Stan Lee was also recently robbed of $1.4 million, as well as $850,000 and $300,000 in different robberies that occurred last year. He has also dealt with intense health problems, including pneumonia. In addition to all these woes, Stan Lee recently became a widower, when the comic creator lost Joan Lee, his wife of 70 years, last year.
We hope Stan Lee can find some much-needed peace soon.
