JC Lee, the daughter of the late comic book icon Stan Lee, has settled a lawsuit against her father’s former manager, Max Anderson. The suit had accused Anderson of elder abuse and misappropriating tens of millions of dollars from the creator.
The agreement was reached Thursday in California’s Los Angeles Superior Court, according to legal documents. The settlement is contingent upon the completion of specific terms that have not been publicly disclosed.
Lee filed the lawsuit in 2019, alleging Anderson took advantage of her father in his later years. She claimed Anderson stole more than $21 million, including memorabilia, autograph revenue and appearance fees.
The suit stated Anderson pressed Lee to work long hours just months before his death, despite his age and declining vision. Lee suffered from severe vision degeneration.
Anderson, who first met Stan Lee in 2007, managed his public appearances and comic book convention business. He also served as a caretaker for Lee, who died in 2018 at age 95.
The settlement arrives approximately a week before the trial had been scheduled to begin. A notice of dismissal is expected to be filed within 10 days after the settlement terms are satisfied, anticipated by July 2025.
This case marks another legal matter involving alleged elder abuse concerning the comic book creator.
Specific allegations in the suit included Anderson pocketing a significant portion of Lee’s earnings from events like the 2017 New York Comic-Con. From $800,000 in revenue, JC Lee claimed Anderson kept more than $700,000, exceeding his contracted management fee of 10 to 25%.
The lawsuit also mentioned the alleged theft of hundreds of collectibles from Lee’s Stan Lee Collectibles business, such as Batman creator Bob Kane’s original drawing of The Joker and props from Marvel projects.
Anderson, who had previously denied any mishandling of Lee’s money, left Lee’s team in 2017.
JC Lee manages her father's trust and previously stated her view of Anderson’s actions.
“Anyone who loved my father and respected his work should see Max Anderson as we do,” JC Lee previously told Page Six. “We believe he is a crook who lied to my father and stole from, and manipulated, him every chance he could. We intend to prove this in court.”