The way Olivia behaved with Gil Lederman did not make any sense to me. What was the harm if Gil took an autograph, or talk about Late George Harrison in front of the Media? Was she jealous or any other intentions she was having in her mind for charging Gil Lederman $10 million?
Dr. Lederman was accused by Olivia Harrison of using his medical connection to a dying George Harrison to shamelessly promote his FSR treatments, claiming that he and George were practically soul mates when, in fact, George Harrison was on heavy medication and near death. At that point, Dr. Lederman visited George in his rented house near Staten Island hospital with his 3 kids in tow for a friendly 'house call'. That ended up with Lederman's son playing a Yamaha guitar for George and, according to the lawsuit Olivia Harrison filed, practically bullying the weak and medicated Harrison into signing it. Dr. Lederman was apparently all over TV and radio shows plugging his FSR treatment for cancer patients and using his association with the former Beatle, George Harrison, as a way to be interviewed and promote his treatment. Apparently, Olivia was furious that this doctor, who couldn't save her husband's life (his lung cancer had metastasized into his brain) had manipulated a dying man, desperate for a 'cure', into signing a guitar that made it very valuable and, more important, using her deceased husband as a prop to promote his FSR cancer treatment. The State Board of Professional Medical Conduct fined and censured Lederman for revealing too much about his patient. He was replaced as Director of Radiation Oncology at Staten Island hospital. To settle the Olivia Harrison lawsuit, Lederman agreed to relinquish the autographed guitar (the Harrison estate replaced it with a non-autographed instrument) and cease talking to the media about George Harrison.
Since then, (late 2001) Lederman has secured another position and has been sued by a half-dozen Italian patients that came to the U.S. for his 'miracle cure' for cancer (FSR). He is arrogant and controversial, to put it mildly. Lederman has since claimed that Olivia Harrison was jealous of the time he spent with George Harrison in the weeks before his death. Since George and Olivia Harrison were married for 23 years at the time of George's illness and Dr. Lederman had convinced George that he could stop his cancer with FSR (he couldn't), I can understand why Harrisons widow might have been disgusted with Gil Lederman and his exploitation of her now-dead husband. The 10 million dollar lawsuit was simply a way to pry the autographed guitar from Ledeman and stop him from using her dead husband as a prop to sell his cancer treatment. Olivia Harrison hardly needed the money, her husband was worth 400 million when he died and, without knowing what his will stated, I'm pretty sure that his widow and son were left the bulk of his estate.
Whatever one thinks of Dr. Ledermans medical prowess, he has demonstrated that he is a shameless self-promoter who may be brilliant in his field but has very poor social skills. Many doctors suffer from the same problem but Lederman's penchant for publicity makes him far more noticeable - and vulnerable. Patient confidentially is a sacred part of medical practice and Dr. Lederman stepped over the line in the case of George Harrison. Olivia Harrison was well within her rights to sue Lederman and his claim that she was 'jealous' of Ledermans time spent with George indicates arrogance and insensitivity that seems to define the doctor and tends to overshadow his work with cancer patients, many of whom die despite his claims. Dr. Lederman has been sued numerous times and has lost some of those suits. He over-promises results that he cannot deliver and gives desperate terminal cancer patients false hope. He has some successes but patients expect miracles and Lederman is only too happy to offer them. When his treatment fails, his patients die and family are upset. I don't blame them.
Jim
