MTV host Matt Pinfield revealed to have suffered a massive stroke as family launch legal battle over fortune
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Former MTV host Matt Pinfield suffered a massive stroke earlier this month, with his family launching a legal battle over his assets.
Pinfield, 63, who rose to fame as host of MTV alternative music program 120 Minutes in the 1990s, had a devastating stroke on January 6, with his daughter Jessica filing for temporary conservatorship as Pinfield is 'incompetent to make decisions.'
Per legal documents obtained by TMZ, Jessica and sister Maya says they are concerned about the DJ's money and personal property due to his girlfriend having access to his accounts and fears she will withdraw his funds.
They have asked for temporary conservators to oversee his bank account and apartment.
Hours before his stroke, Pinfield shared a photo of himself at work to Instagram captioned: 'Starting another week with gratitude for a life surrounded by great people, life changing music, and unforgettable experiences that I never take for granted.
'Here to another week-another day-open heart and open mind. Let’s rock!'
Former MTV host Matt Pinfield suffered a massive stroke earlier this month, with his family launching a legal battle over his assets - pictured 2014
Pinfield, 63, who rose to fame as host of MTV's 120 Minutes in the 1990s, had a devastating stroke on January 6 , with his daughter Jessica filing for temporary conservatorship as Pinfield is 'incompetent to make decisions - pictured hours before the stroke
Pinfield suffered a near-fatal collision in 2018 when he was struck by a car while crossing the street near his Hollywood home.
Hitting the windshield headfirst and striking the pavement, his head was split open to his skull and he broke his leg in two places.
He has also battled heart problems and substance abuse, which led him to go to rehab in early 2017, per The San Francisco Chronicle.
He said: 'I was dealing with A-fib (atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm). Drinking on top of it wasn’t a good idea. And it turns out I was overmedicated.
Los Angeles radio station KCSN issued a statement amid Pinfield's health crisis
It read: 'The SoCal Sound’s legendary DJ Matt Pinfield will be taking a temporary leave of absence.
'We are fully supportive of Matt and hope to have his energetic knowledge of rock n’ roll back on the air soon.'
He most recently co-hosted The Power Hour on AXS TV.
Pinfield suffered a near-fatal collision in 2018 when he was struck by a car while crossing the street near his Hollywood home - pictured 2012
The Killers wrote 2004 track All These Things I've Done about Pinfield - he is pictured with Flowers and Vanucci in 2019 shortly after surviving the near-fatal crash
Per legal documents obtained by TMZ , Jessica and sister Maya says they are concerned about the DJ's money and personal property due to his girlfriend having access to his accounts and fears she will withdraw his funds - pictured 2013
Pinfield (pictured in October 2024 with Pete Yorn) has previously battled heart problems and substance abuse, which led him to go to rehab in early 2017
Pinfield hosted 120 Minutes from 1995 to 1999 on MTV and from 2011 to 2013 on MTV2.
He began his career in the 1980s as a radio and club DJ in New Jersey.
Along with his 120 Minutes stint work he worked on TRL and VH1.
After leaving MTV in 1999 he hosted USA Network show Farmclub.com, before becoming vice president of A&R and artist development for Columbia Records from 2001 to 2006.
During his time at Columbia, he worked with the at the time unknown rock band The Killers, who later wrote 2004 hit track All These Things That I've Done about him.
At the time Pinfield was working with the US Army as part of a program that mentored wounded or PTSD-stricken musician soldiers returning from Iraq.
After watching The Killers rehearse and going to dinner with them, he was given a ride back to his hotel by frontman Brandon Flowers, with the pair stopping at a Las Vegas bar.
Pinfield said: 'I started to tell him the story about mentoring soldiers, and I was getting ready to go through a divorce. I was going through a bit of a rough time. So, he went home that night, and their old manager, Braden Merrick, calls me on the phone, and goes, "Hey Matt, Brandon wrote a song about you. He went home last night and wrote this song." It was All These Things That I've Done, and the line I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier is about the mentoring thing.'
In 2019 Pinfield shared a sweet post with Flowers and Ronnie Vanucci after attending their LA concert.
After leaving MTV in 1999 he hosted USA Network show Farmclub.com, before becoming vice president of A&R and artist development for Columbia Records from 2001 to 2006 - pictured 2013 with Josh Krajcik at the MTV, VH1, CMT & LOGO O Music Awards
He wrote: 'Backstage with Ronnie Vanucci and Brandon Flowers from The Killers at the LA Forum. It was a beautiful moment tonight when Brandon dedicated “All These Things That I’ve Done” to me from the stage.;
He later worked at New York radio station WRXP 101.9FM.
He worked at SiriusXM Radio's Lithium channel in 2016 and the following year published a memoir, All These Things That I've Done: My Insane, Improbable Rock Life.
In March 2024, Pinfield became the new afternoon drivetime host for KCSN in LA.
