Wendy Williams' Guardianship, Purported Aphasia Diagnosis Addressed In New Documentary

Highlights

• Wendy Williams was purportedly diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, a claim advanced by her "team" ahead of the release of Where Is Wendy Williams?
• Williams' family claims she is trapped in a guardianship system with no access to any relatives or friends.
• A press release about Williams' health emerged right before the documentary's release, raising questions.

Famed talk show personality and New York City radio icon Wendy Williams' whereabouts, wealth, and battle for control of her finances are some of the topics addressed in Lifetime's new two-part documentary, Where Is Wendy Williams?

On February 6th, TheRichest.com addressed the then-upcoming Where Is Wendy Williams?, noting that a new trailer had just dropped, and reporting:

The Daily Beast summarized the trailer and recent developments involving Williams, reporting:

"A new trailer released by Lifetime for the upcoming documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? shows that the ex-daytime talk show host, whose beloved show was canceled in 2021 amidst reports of Williams’ declining health, is clearly struggling.

"In the clip, Williams’ family expresses concern that her team is taking advantage of her court-appointed financial guardianship and vulnerability. Williams herself, who in the trailer footage often appears confused and distressed, says that she’s in dire financial straits."

Although Lifetime's Wendy Williams documentary was hotly anticipated, elements mentioned in the trailer (such as Williams' financial guardianship) had been reported before its release.

Where Is Wendy Williams? is slated to air on February 24th and 25th, and ahead of its release, a bevy of new claims and information were released by parties involved with Williams and the documentary.

2:31

Here's How Wendy Williams Earns And Spends Her Riches

Wendy Williams 'Team' Claims She Was Diagnosed With Aphasia, Frontotemporal Dementia

Wendy Williams was a trending topic on February 22nd, in part due to a wide-ranging spate of news stories about various aspects of her life.

Notably, on that date, entertainment trade publication Variety published an article entitled "Wendy Williams Diagnosed With Aphasia and Dementia."

While the headline asserted that Williams had been diagnosed with "aphasia and dementia," the article's first paragraph clarified that those claims had been made by Williams' "team" – and that her "team" had elected to issue a press release on that date:

"Wendy Williams' team confirmed in a press release that the former daytime talk show host has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

"Aphasia is a condition that affects language and communication abilities, while FTD is a disorder that impacts behavior and cognitive functions. Bruce Willis revealed last year that he was also diagnosed with the same kind of dementia."

Variety linked to a February 22nd press release on PR Newswire, titled "Wendy Williams Diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia and Dementia."

It read in part:

"On behalf of Wendy Williams Hunter, her care team is sharing this very personal update with her cherished fans, friends, and supporters to correct inaccurate and hurtful rumors about her health ... Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy's ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy's condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions.

"In 2023, after undergoing a battery of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Aphasia, a condition affecting language and communication abilities, and frontotemporal dementia, a progressive disorder impacting behavior and cognitive functions, have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy's life."

The timing of the press release (issued two days before part one of Where Is Wendy Williams? was set to air) was questionable, and the tone of the press release was unusual.

In particular, it took care to articulate Williams' purported inability to "[understand financial transactions]" as part of an ostensible health update.

Moreover, the latter part of the press release referenced a "decision to share this news," but made no reference to whether Williams herself supported or consented to the press release:

"Wendy would not have received confirmation of these diagnoses were it not for the diligence of her current care team, who she chose, and the extraordinary work of the specialists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires."

"The decision to share this news was difficult and made after careful consideration, not only to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, but to raise awareness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of others facing similar circumstances. Unfortunately, many individuals diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia face stigma and misunderstanding, particularly when they begin to exhibit behavioral changes but have not yet received a diagnosis."

Ultimately, both the content of the press release and its timing (as if someone wanted to get ahead of the documentary) were questionable – particularly in contrast with separate news generated by the imminent Wendy Williams documentary.

And on February 21st, People reported that Williams had been whisked away "to a facility" as she attempted to film the documentary:

"The documentary crew stopped filming Williams in April 2023. That month, she entered a facility to treat 'cognitive issues,' her manager and jeweler Will Selby says in the film. Her son reveals in the documentary that doctors have connected these issues to alcohol use."

The press release was issued by Jennifer Hanley of the firm Ridge Hill Group, but text at the bottom read: "SOURCE[:] Wendy Williams."

In short, a strong case could be made that the press release was planted to undermine the content of Where Is Wendy Williams?, or to cast doubt on her family's concerns about the legitimacy of her guardianship.

NeNe Leakes’ Son Risks Jail Time As He Refuses To Pay $30,000 In Child Support

Wendy Williams' Guardianship: Her Family Speaks Out

In the same February 21st People article linked above, the magazine touched upon another odd detail of Wendy's guardianship.

Immediately after mentioning that Williams was "in a facility" (and had been since April), the outlet reported that Williams was only in contact with a "court-appointed legal guardian":

"Williams remains in the facility to this day, and her family says a court-appointed legal guardian is the only person who has unfettered access to her.

"Her family says they don’t know where she is and cannot call her themselves, but she can call them."

According to People, the identity of Wendy's "court-appointed guardian" is a well-guarded secret – Williams has stated the guardian has stolen money from her, and the magazine added:

"Right now, the power over when Williams can leave the facility, if at all, remains in her guardian’s hands."

On February 22nd, People published another article about Wendy Williams' guardianship, in part titled "Inside Wendy Williams' Family's Fight to Free Her from Her Guardianship."

Again, members of Williams' family were quoted as saying that Williams is trapped in a "broken system," and shared alarming details about their inability to speak with her:

"Williams' family says her court-appointed legal guardian (whose identity remains private) is the only person who currently has unfettered access to her. They say she can call them, but they cannot call her themselves.

"'How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is healthy one minute to this person who’s in and out of the hospital?' Williams' sister Wanda Finnie asks in this week's PEOPLE cover story.

"'How is that system better than the system the family could put in place? I don't know. I do know that this system is broken. I hope that at some point, Wendy becomes strong enough where she can speak on her own behalf.'"

2:05

Megan Fox's Super Bowl Photo Controversy Clap Back: 'A Very Expensive Doll'

Wanda Finney, Wendy's sister, told the magazine that Wendy's life changed during a single court hearing:

All I know is that Wendy and her team walked into the courtroom one way, and they walked out, and the family is completely excluded.

Where Is Wendy Williams? will air on Lifetime on February 24th and 25th, and The Hollywood Reporter provided alternative ways to view the documentary on various streaming platforms.

Hopefully, the documentary will shed light on Wendy Williams guardianship (which appears to be handled by a court-appointed third party) and her health — however, Williams' relatives seem to believe the guardianship is questionable, and claims about Williams having aphasia and frontotemporal dementia almost certainly originated with her unnamed legal guardian.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmsJ2emcZuw8ilo6KZnah6qMHAq5uimZ6otaq8jJqnoZmjnq5usMianqeno57AcA%3D%3D