Conservatorships explained as Tristan Thompson files for brother Amari, 19
Tristan Thompson reportedly filed for a limited conservatorship for his 19-year-old brother Amari at the end of April.
The 35-year-old Canadian-American basketball player has been the legal guardian of his sibling after their mother Andrea suddenly died in 2023 of a heart attack.
Amari ‘suffers from an intellectual disability and developmental delay and is unable to take care of his personal needs,’ a filing requesting a conservatorship.
The teen also has epilepsy as well as other medical conditions that need constant support.
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He is ‘unable to live independently and relies on' Tristan to take care of him, as well as being 'unable to handle any financial transactions'.
The documents, obtained by PEOPLE, reportedly state that the 19-year-old 'does not object to the proposed conservator,' his brother, and 'does not wish to contest the establishment of a conservatorship'.
As per the filing, Amari is ‘unable to take care of himself or seek gainful employment’.
What is a conservatorship?
You’ve likely heard of conservatorships, but you may not fully understand what they are, who they’re intended for, or how they can help. An associate lecturer at Kent Law School has explained conservatorships.
They are court-appointed individuals or organisations, known as conservators, that are appointed to care for someone who is unable to care for themselves or their finances.
“Conservatorships are established by a court order and are arguably very extreme as they can deprive an individual of their liberty to make decisions for themselves, which raises issues over the person’s autonomy,” says Stephanie Coker.
The comments were originally shared in relation to Britney Spears, who was under a conservatorship until 2021.
Although Spears has spoken about the harm her conservatorship caused, such arrangements are not inherently negative and can serve important protective purposes in certain situations.
A process involving the formal filing of a petition is needed in order to end a conservatorship.
The petition would need to include testimony from the person under the conservatorship explaining their case and why they assert that the arrangement is no longer required. Coker explains this would need to include ‘why and how the grounds on which the order was initially granted no longer exist.’
The individual may also need to undergo an evaluation and the report that follows would be filed at court.
The NBA star spoke to PEOPLE last year about the 'village' of support he and his brother have, as well as two 'awesome' full-time caregivers.
"Amari is fully disabled, so he doesn't talk or walk on his own, so everything is assisted,” he explained. “They've been a blessing and angels in disguise, especially with my mom passing away, being able to meet two amazing human beings that really helped me with this journey".
He continued: "Because you need a village. When you have family members that go through stuff, it doesn't take one person. You need a village to help build everyone up and pick everyone up because some days are tougher than others. So I've been very fortunate with that."
Tristan, who shares two children, True, eight, and Tatum, three, with his ex Khloé Kardashian. Amari has made an appearance on the reality TV series The Kardashians, including an episode celebrating his 18th birthday.
Kardashian said the moment marked a ‘huge milestone’ and ‘huge accomplishment’.
“Every day we have with him is a blessing,” she added.
Topics: Celebrity
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