Mickey Rooney Addresses Congress About Elder Abuse

Legendary star of the silver screen Mickey Rooney, 90, is breaking his silence about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his stepson, Christopher Aber, and his stepson's wife, Christina Aber.

Last month Rooney filed a restraining order against the Abers, citing verbal, emotional, and financial abuse. He claims they even denied him such basics as food, medicine, and access to his personal documents. "For years I suffered silently, unable to muster the courage to seek the help that I knew I needed," Rooney told a Senate committee in Washington on Wednesday. "Even when I tried to speak up, I was silenced. It seemed like no one believed me. But I never gave up."

Throughout his eight-decade career, Rooney frequently starred in movies alongside Judy Garland, and he received four Oscar nominations and one honorary Academy Award. "If elder abuse happened to me, Mickey Rooney, it can happen to anyone," he told the committee, which aims to coordinate federal and state funding to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

The Abers are required to stay at least 100 yards from Rooney and his home at all times. —KIMBERLY STEELE

Comments

Mickey Rooney is suing his stepson and others on allegations that they tricked him into thinking he was on the brink of poverty while defrauding him out of millions and bullying him into continuing to work. Meanwhile, I just recently read another news about elder abuse case from this article Family beats grandpa with bricks after Googling how to kill. Google doesn't endorse elder abuse, but its commitment to freedom of information did make it easy for a British mom, daughter, son and his girlfriend to search for the words “the easiest way to kill an old person”. The Daily Mail reports that they then went about hitting the 89-year-old grandfather about the brain, body and legs with bags of bricks. He barely escaped with his life.

- Posted by NatalieHoward @ 10/11/11, 02:52 am