In 2013, Nichols was diagnosed with dementia and suffered a minor stroke two years later, the Los Angeles Times reported.

At the beginning of the same year, she had collapsed in her living room and was later diagnosed with pancreatitis due to alcohol abuse. 

During recovery, she was described as being gravely ill, "grasping for breath" and "calling out to her people who had passed away."

Eventually, she moved into a rehabilitation facility where she attempted to leave on her own. 

After falling ill, Bell said he checked her out of the rehabilitation facility and she signed an advance health care directive and general power of attorney identifying him as her primary agent. Fawcette was named as the successor. 

According to Space.com, Johnson took over control of the actress' affairs after he feared his mom might be exploited. He filed a petition three years ago, gaining control, and said his mom suffered from "severe short-term memory loss impacting her executive functioning."

But Nichols' friends, who have become vocal in advocating for her, filed an objection to the petition, saying the Star Trek actress is not vulnerable. They said with limited assistance, Nichols is more than capable of managing her own finances and personal affairs.

Angelique Fawcette has pushed for her friend to stay in her home, which she said she takes profound joy in. But despite her wishes, Johnson sold the home after taking over as the conservator of her person and estate in 2019, as Blavity previously reported. The actress now lives in New Mexico.

Fawcette has also accused Bell of leaving her guest home, which he has lived in, in a state of "disrepair" and said he has suggested wanting to marry the actress.

She has since pushed for visitation rights to see Nichols and previously attempted to help the actress keep her home, saying they fear she's being denied the right to live her life as she wishes, the Los Angeles Times reported.

After 2019, Bell rejected the court's decision to grant her son full control over Nichols' affairs and filed a lawsuit against him. In the lawsuit, he states Johnson is being "aggressive and combative" in having him removed from her estate. He added that living on her property allows him to maintain her career and finances. 

Johnson, however, alleges that Bell "exerted his undue influence and took control over Ms. Nichols' assets and personal affairs." 

Bell says since working with his client in 2009, she has not received many opportunities to work and had been struggling financially. He attempted to help her book appearances and projects and according to the Los Angeles Times, Bell helped the actress' annual income increase exponentially.

Nichols first purchased her home in 1982 for $12,000 and planned out the details of her home. Two years later, she purchased the land beside her home for future projects and her guest house. 

The home sold for $2.2 million and the proceeds were subsequently placed in an account that Johnson says will allow him to care for his mother. 

But Fawcette said had Nichols been in better health, she would be devasted to know what was occurring with her affairs. 

"She's been like a mother to me," Fawcette recalled. "It's been horrendous. It's been painful to watch her go through this experience."

"When the house was sold, I was very hurt for her," she continued. "She has no place to go back to anymore. It hurt me because I knew that it would hurt her. She stated that she wanted to remain in her home, yet the court let her son move her out."