‘Star Trek’ Actress Nichelle Nichols’ Locked In Messy Conservatorship Battle

Star Trek legend Nichelle Nichols is in the middle of a messy conservatorship battle involving her family members and close circle of friends.

The 88-year-old, best known for her role of Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek series, has had her elder years plagued by a chaotic conservatorship battle involving her only child, current conservator, Kyle Johnson; her former manager Gilbert Bell; and her friend and fellow actress Angelique Fawcette, the LA Times reveals.

Johnson and Bell have been hurling lawsuits back and forth at each other after Johnson failed to serve as his mother’s conservator following a petition in 2018. Meanwhile, Fawcette, whom Nichols named as her successor, believes Nichols is well enough to care for herself independently and doesn’t need to be under a conservator.

Fawcette also calls out Bell for allowing Nichols’ home to fall into “a state of disrepair” after he tried marrying Nichols in 2018. Amid the ugly conservator battle, Nichols continues to work and take part in somewhat of a “farewell tour” organized by her son and Sky Conway, Page Six reports.

Nichols’ current mental state remains unclear. While filming what Kickstarter dubbed as her “final performance before heading into retirement,” Nichols reportedly needed the use of a teleprompter to read off her lines for the pilot of Renegades: Ominara.

“I feel like I’ve already lost my sister in so many ways,” Nichols younger sister, Marian Nichols Smothers said. “She’s not the person she used to be, the vibrant, in-charge, take-care-of everything person.”

Fawcette has been blocked from visiting her friend and is currently working with an attorney to regain some type of visitation rights.

“She’s not getting the life that she wished for,” Fawcette said. “She’s getting the life that other people have chosen for her.”