Reports broke this past weekend that the actress who originally played Lt. Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, was suffering from dementia, prompting her son, Kyle Johnson, to state that she needs protection. According to court documents filed by Johnson last Friday, he states that she is suffering from severe short-term memory loss. As a remedy, Johnson nominated four fiduciaries to become his mom’s conservators, or trustees, to oversee the 85-year-old’s finances. Johnson made these moves in order to protect his mother’s estate and gain the ability to legally make medical decisions on her behalf. He stipulates that these measures are necessary because her dementia is “impacting her executive functioning” and makes her “susceptible to undue influence.” Also, according to TMZ, Johnson fears that “certain individuals have unduly exerted themselves into [her] life to her detriment.”

We will follow up on this story to keep fans aware of the situation.