by Edna Rico
On Thursday, Wells Fargo sent a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth requesting a hearing to determine whether the media personality needs a professional to intervene in her affairs. Attorney David Pikus wrote on behalf of the bank in the letter:
“We are concerned about [Williams’] situation. It is our hope that the Guardianship Part [of the court] will imminently appoint a temporary guardian or evaluator to review the situation and ensure that [Williams’] affairs are being properly handled.”
Yikes. When a bank is concerned, we should probably be concerned, too, right…?
The note came after Williams’ attorney Celeste McCaw filed an emergency petition last Friday claiming Wells Fargo had “for more than two weeks” denied the 57-year-old access to her “accounts, assets and statements” after her former financial adviser Lori Schiller alleged Wendy — who hasn’t hosted her daytime talk show since July 2021 due to ongoing health issues — was “of unsound mind.”
In the court docs, McCaw said Williams had fired Schiller as her adviser due to alleged “malfeasance” involving her accounts as well as “improper conduct in relation to their professional relationship.” Innerestingly, though, the lawyer admitted Williams “continues to rely on Schiller’s advisement.” Huh?? On Wednesday, Pikus argued in a separate letter sent to the judge that Wells Fargo “has strong reason to believe” Williams is a “victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.” He requested to keep the case “under seal” to “preserve the confidential nature.”
The bank’s attorney alleged Schiller had “recently witnessed signs of exploitation, including [Williams’] own expressed apprehensions” about the people around her, adding that “other independent third parties who know [Williams] well … share these concerns.”
In response to Wednesday’s letter, McCaw wrote that Williams “denies that she is the victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.” Wendy’s lawyer requested a temporary restraining order against the bank to restrain it “from freezing [Williams’] accounts and interfering with her right to access her financial assets and statements.”
A spokesperson for Wells Fargo said in a statement to Page Six Thursday:
“We deny any allegations of improper actions with respect to Ms. Williams’ accounts and are fully participating in a court process to reach a resolution that is in her best interest. The financial well-being of our clients is at the heart of everything we do.”
This is getting stranger by the day, Perezcious readers. Who do U think is telling the truth here?
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