WASHINGTON, D.C. — Concerns about guardianship abuse took center stage at the Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival on Capitol Hill, where the Lifetime film "The Bad Guardian" was screened for an audience that included lawmakers, advocates, and filmmakers.
The film, inspired by real stories, was selected for its accurate portrayal of guardianship abuse.
"It means that our film really hit a nerve," executive producer Elizabeth Stephen said.
From Lifetime to Netflix's top 10
The film first aired on Lifetime before reaching a wider audience on Netflix.
"It got a new life on Netflix, and in the 1st 3 weeks that it aired, it was in the top 10 movies in the country, which was incredible," Stephen said.
Stephen said viewers across the country have reached out to share their own experiences.
"I get emails from people all over the country, and it's always the same thing. This was my story. That was my father, my mother, my sister. That was the Guardian, and it's always heartbreaking," Stephen said.
A system meant to protect — but one that can harm
Guardianship is a legal process that allows someone else to make decisions about a person's finances, healthcare, and even where they live.
The system is intended to protect vulnerable people who cannot care for themselves.
But over more than a decade of reporting, our I-Team has uncovered cases where families say guardianship led to isolation, exploitation, and abuse.
Panel discussion puts accountability in focus
Following the screening, I joined a panel that included filmmaker Claudia Myers, National Center on Elder Abuse Director Julie Schoen, and guardianship reform advocate Rey Contreras.
"This was very real. It's very guttural. They got a lot of things right," I said during the panel discussion.
"People say this can't be true, and even attorneys who I speak to who end up by chance in probate court, they feel like they've gone off into Alice in Wonderland because the rules of a normal court system just don't seem to apply there," I said.
Contreras said his own family became entangled in the guardianship system despite years of estate planning.
His stepfather, Pete Beaty, created trust documents naming who should manage his affairs if he became incapacitated — wishes that were later disregarded in court.
"Trust documents to me are an admission ticket to a circus, a circus, because the lawyers make all the money on the back end," Contreras said.
Panelists repeatedly focused on accountability during the discussion.
"The next sequel should be called The Bad Judge because at the end of the day, everything these Guardians do is being rubber-stamped by the judge," Contreras said.
Schoen acknowledged that not all guardianship cases involve abuse.
"There are successful guardianship cases out there, but that's not what we're here to talk about today," Schoen said.
"The best kind of guardianship is to not have one at all. These are supposed to be last-resort measures," I said.
'It could happen to you'
Myers said she hopes the film leads to meaningful change.
"I can just hope that it helps in some small way lead to change," Myers said. "I hope so. Eventually, I think they will. I think the question is how quickly and how efficiently can we tackle this very complex problem."
Myers offered a stark warning for viewers.
"The takeaway for me is very clearly that it could happen to you," Myers said.
Panel meets with Senator Rick Scott
After the event, members of the panel met with Senator Rick Scott, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging, to discuss concerns surrounding guardianship and possible solutions at the federal level.
Stephen said raising public awareness remains a priority.
"We have to raise public awareness because if there's any way to prevent this from happening to people, we need to do that," Stephen said.
Share Your Story with Adam
Adam Walser has spent more than a decade fighting for what’s right in Tampa Bay as part of the I-Team. He’s helped expose flaws in Florida’s eldercare system and held leaders accountable for questionable HOA practices. Reach out to Adam with any issue you think he needs to investigate.
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