+1-786-628-7980
Sign Up/Sign In 
(LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18, 2020) – Kyle Johnson, son of iconic Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols, has hired the Los Angeles-based law firm of Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs in a countersuit charging Gilbert Bell with elder abuse, theft, fraud, and additional charges.
The suit focuses on Bell’s defrauding Nichols of significant assets including appearance fees, pension, Social Security, and her Woodland Hills, CA home.
Nichols is an iconic African American actress and performer, best known for her role as Lt. Uhura, in the original Star Trek series and six succeeding films. The role was a groundbreaking one for African American female characters in American television and film.
As the largest black-owned law firm in the nation and with more than 75 years of legal experience in the Los Angeles area, Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs is uniquely qualified to handle the case. The firm has a long and successful background in the entertainment industry and is known for its commitment to care for its clients.
The handling attorney is Ricky Ivie, Director and a Founding Partner of Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs. “It’s our intent to show how Ms. Nichols was taken advantage of during a highly vulnerable time in her life,” Ivie said. “This is not how you treat a cultural and entertainment treasure.”
Kyle Johnson, Nichols’ only child, returned to California in 2018 to take over as his mother’s full-time caregiver and Conservator of her Person and Estate. Johnson seeks to “hold those responsible to account, ensure his mother’s financial stability, health and comfort, and recover what has been stolen from her.”
Among other charges, the countersuit alleges that in 2012, Bell temporarily moved into a house on Nichols’ property and continues to live there under a fraudulent lease and succeeding fraudulent reverse mortgage.
Refer to case number 19STCV23804 or visit imwlaw.com for more information.
Based in Los Angeles, Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs is a Black-owned law firm serving clients for more than 75 years in a diverse range of practice areas. The firm’s partners include Ricky Ivie, W. Keith Wyatt, Byron Purcell, Rodney Diggs, and Marie Maurice.
