In a new video, Stan Lee vehemently denies recent reports alleging he is the victim of elder abuse and threatens to take legal action against outlets circulating the claims. Earlier this week, the entertainment world was shaken when a THR article was published, insinuating the Marvel Comics icon was surrounded by people with bad intentions looking to take advantage of the nonagenarian. Among those named in the accusations are memorabilia dealer Keya Morgan; Lee’s former publicist and caregiver, Jerry Olivarez; Lee’s former road manager, Max Anderson; and Lee’s 67 year-old daughter, J.C. Lee.

This was just the latest in an unfortunately growing list of troubling stories involving Lee this year. Prior to these allegations coming out, he was dealing with multiple health concerns, having been hospitalized due to an irregular heartbeat and battling pneumonia. Many are concerned about Lee's wellbeing, but it looks like the man himself is fed up with the situation.

In a video shared as an exclusive to TMZ, Lee speaks on behalf of himself and Morgan. In the message, he refers to the elder abuse claims as "hateful and harmful" and "totally based on slander." Lee feels this is the product of a "personal vendetta" against himself and his associates, claiming the articles were published with no real evidence to prove the allegations. He emphatically closes his statement by saying he is ready to take legal action to clear the names of those accused in the reports.

Stan Lee public photo

Morgan was a key figure named in the notarized declaration signed by Lee, which was obtained by THR for their most recent report. The document calls Morgan "not trustworthy" and alleges he is using his relationship with J.C. to control Lee's assets and money. However, in videos sent to THR, Lee says his relationships with both J.C. and Morgan are going well and indicates he may have been tricked by lawyers into signing something that paints them in a poor light. Lee suffers from a condition called macular degeneration and can hardly see. The original report also listed a number of unsettling allegations involving Morgan and J.C.

Lee appears quite adamant in the video, so it'll be interesting to watch how this situation continues to unfold. Hopefully, the matter is resolved in the near future and fans can go back to just enjoying Lee's appearances at conventions and cameos in Marvel films. We'll keep you updated on this story as it develops.

MORE: A Timeline of Stan Lee Elder Abuse Concerns

Source: TMZ