Lifetime will continue to “shed light” on the nation’s guardianship system with an upcoming movie tentatively titled The Bad Guardian.
The film is inspired by true stories of Americans put in the care of a court-appointed guardian, and will star Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and La La Anthony (BMF), the cable network said in a press release on Friday, March 1.
The script centers on a woman named Leigh (Melissa Joan Hart), whose father Jason (Eric Pierpoint) suffers a fall while she’s out of town. The courts assign Jason a guardian named Janet (La La Anthony), and the situation quickly takes a turn.
According to the official description, “Janet is legally in charge of every aspect of Jason’s life, and doesn’t waste any time placing him in a nursing home, auctioning off his house, all worldly possessions, and using the excuse that the proceeds are needed for his care… Jason’s health deteriorates, to the point that he needs a life saving treatment, which Janet decides is too expensive. As whistleblowers around Jason meet untimely ends, Leigh finds the strength to take down the guardian and the corrupt system that supports her.”
Related Story: Wendy Williams Spends Her Days in Bed, Drinking Vodka, Lifetime Documentary Reveals
The announcement about the project comes a week after Lifetime aired the shocking documentary series Where is Wendy Williams?
The two-night movie event premiered on Saturday, Feb. 24, and followed former talk show host Wendy Williams, who was placed under a guardianship following the cancellation of her popular daytime talk show in 2022.
Williams has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, and also has Grave’s disease, thyroid disease, and lymphedema.
The docuseries revealed she spends her days in bed, heavily drinking. The film showed she had a steady supply of alcohol, but her refrigerator was usually empty and her weight had fallen drastically.
The radio and TV legend’s family is currently fighting to end the guardianship.
According to Diane Dimond, journalist and author of We’re Here to Help – When Guardianship Goes Wrong, more than 2 million Americans are currently living under a guardianship or conservatorship. It’s estimated that state courts confiscate over $50 billion from people under state care every year, Dimond says.
Lifetime’s The Bad Guardian will look at the financial implications of guardianships. The film is currently in the pre-production stages.
The project is produced by Allegheny Image Factory, with Jeffrey Tinnell and Robert Tinnell serving as producers. Elizabeth Stephen executive produces and Claudia Myers directs from a script by Ashley Gable.
Melissa Joan Hart is repped by Gilbertson Entertainment and Independent Artist Group.
La La Anthony is repped by United Talent Agency, 42West and Untitled Entertainment.
