Wendy Williams and Britney Spears' Guardianships Inspire New Lifetime Film Starring Melissa Joan Hart, La La Anthony

'Bad Guardian' will detail the story "about one woman's fight to save her father from the clutches of a corrupt and greedy court-appointed guardian"

Melissa Joan Hart and La La Anthony are joining the ongoing debate about conservatorships with roles in a new Lifetime movie.

Just days after the network dropped its bombshell docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams?, which follows the former television host after she was placed under a court-ordered guardianship and continues to struggle with alcohol addiction and health issues, Lifetime announced its new film, Bad Guardian.

The thriller centers around a fictional court-appointed guardianship that goes awry and is "inspired by countless true stories of individuals who have been put in the care of a guardian by the courts and raises the question — are these caretakers helpful or harmful?”

Related: Everything to Know About Wendy Williams’ Guardianship

Per the film's official description, Bad Guardian will detail the story "about one woman's fight to save her father from the clutches of a corrupt and greedy court-appointed guardian."

"When Leigh’s (Hart) father Jason (Eric Pierpoint) suffers a fall while she’s out of town, the courts assign Jason a guardian, Janet (Anthony). At first Janet seems to be a big help to Jason, but things quickly take a terrible turn," reads the synopsis. "Janet is legally in charge of every aspect of Jason’s life, and doesn’t waste any time placing him in a nursing home, auctioning off his house, all worldly possessions, and using the excuse that the proceeds are needed for his care."

Though Leigh continues to "challenge Janet's efforts," the guardian successfully prevents his family members from visiting while Jason's health "deteriorates, to the point that he needs a life saving treatment which Janet decides is too expensive."

"As the whistleblowers around Jason meet untimely ends, Leigh finds the strength to take down the guardian and the corrupt system that supports her," the synopsis concludes.

Related: Britney Spears' Father Jamie Petitions to End Her Conservatorship After 13 Years

In a press release shared with PEOPLE, Diane Dimond, a journalist and author of We’re Here to Help – When Guardianship Goes Wrong, reveals that more than "some 2 million Americans" are currently placed under a guardian or conservatorship.

The expert reports that state courts "confiscate over $50 billion from their ward" annually and 98% of people placed into its care "never get out" with "zero federal laws to regulate the guardianship/conservatorship system."

Bad Guardian comes as several high profile conservatorships, including that of Britney Spears and Wendy Williams, continue to raise questions and be discussed in the news.

In November 2021, Spears' 13-year conservatorship was terminated. Her father Jamie, along with a lawyer, controlled the singer's finances and personal assets through the conservatorship. Spears recently spoke out about the hardships she faced during that time in her bombshell memoir, The Woman in Me.

Related: The Biggest Bombshells from Lifetime's Where Is Wendy Williams? Documentary Currently Under Litigation

More recently, Williams' life has been under a microscope after Lifetime's two-part docuseries, Where Is Wendy Williams? aired last weekend, portraying her troubled life and health issues following the end of her eponymous talk show.

Two days ahead of its release, Williams' care team revealed she had been diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Williams' family claimed they were kept in the dark about her diagnosis and that they've had limited contact with her since she was placed under her legal guardianship in May 2022. Williams has been in a facility receiving treatment since April 2023, and while her family says they cannot call her, she can call them.

The same day Williams' diagnosis was released, her guardian Sabrina Morrissey filed a lawsuit against Lifetime's parent company A&E Television Networks, seeking to halt the release of the documentary. That effort was denied by an appeals court, but the controversy around Williams' guardianship remains ongoing as her family continues to fight on her behalf.

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Bad Guardian will be executive produced by Elizabeth Stephen alongside producers Jeffrey Tinnell and Robert Tinnell. Claudia Myers will direct a script written by Ashley Gable.

The project is expected to air later this year.

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