Seeing Williams in public and smiling is a stark difference from what her guardian told people was happening with Williams. Sabrina Morrissey, Williams' legal guardian and counsel, said about Williams' condition: “[Williams is] an acclaimed entertainer who, tragically, has been afflicted by early-onset dementia and, as a result, has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated."
by Jacqueline Burt Cote
In a clip shared to Instagram on Sunday, Dec. 15 by the account toinethedon, Williams smiled while she picked up a take-out order from the Fort Lauderdale restaurant Sista Sara’s Shonuff Oysters with her nephew, Travis Finnie.
Williams sat in the backseat of a black car wearing a green jacket and holding a black purse as she greeted and thanked the restaurant workers.
"She looks almost ready for her purple chair," noted one person, referring to the famous chair from her talk show set.
"She looks good," agreed someone else.
"Glad too see you Wendy looking well praying for you 🙏," declared another fan.
In October, Williams shared a health update with the Daily Mail, saying that she was "doing good" despite her February 2024 diagnosis with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia—the same diagnosis as actor Bruce Willis.
Williams' diagnosis came after years of cognitive decline and shortly before the premiere of a controversial Lifetime documentary chronicling her physical and financial struggles.
The Wendy Williams Show premiered
in 2008 and ran for 13 seasons before airing its final episode in
2022. Williams was forced to take a series of hiatuses in later seasons
due to her health issues, which also include Graves’ disease and
lymphedema.
Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams, 60, All Smiles in Rare Sighting After Dementia Diagnosis
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Wendy Williams
By Kunal Dey
Despite her ongoing courtroom battles and health challenges, it looks like Wendy is determined to reclaim her narrative.
While the world speculates about her condition, those close to Wendy Williams say she’s definitely on the upswing. A family insider told the Daily Mail: “She is more clear now than she’s ever been throughout the guardianship, which is a problem for some.”
This comes shortly after Wendy’s court-appointed guardian Sabrina Morrissey claimed in legal filings that the 60-year-old "has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated” due to her battle with frontotemporal dementia, which she was diagnosed with in May 2023.
The diagnosis followed a court-ordered guardianship established in 2022 to oversee her finances and health.
Wendy is currently grappling with the fallout from the Lifetime documentary 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' Initially billed as a behind-the-scenes look at her planned podcast comeback, the series ultimately featured some hard-to-watch moments like Wendy drinking vodka in bed and experiencing panic attacks.
Fans were appalled and Wendy herself wasn’t impressed. Speaking to the Daily Mail in October, she snarked: “I am doing really good. The documentary sucked. I understand that it is up for an award now. Everything is going really well.”
The documentary — which aired in February — became the center of a legal battle between Morrissey and Lifetime’s parent company, A&E Networks. Morrissey accused the network of “blatant exploitation", arguing that Wendy did not have the capacity to consent to the project due to her health condition.
The accusations flew thick and fast on both sides. Sabrina Morrissey’s lawsuit — initially filed under seal — alleges that producers misled Wendy Williams into believing the documentary would be a positive portrayal of her life. Instead, she claims it turned into a “circus to her downfall".
“This blatant exploitation of a vulnerable woman with a serious medical condition who is beloved by millions within and outside of the African American community is disgusting, and it cannot be allowed,” Morrissey’s legal team said.
A&E, however, isn’t backing down. The network argued that Wendy signed a talent agreement before her alleged mental incapacitation and even pointed out that there’s no legal prohibition against creating a documentary about someone with dementia.
They also fired back at Morrissey’s claims, accusing her of "exceeding her authority" as Wendy’s guardian and attempting to infringe on A&E’s First Amendment rights.
In their countersuit, the network claimed Morrissey’s actions denied Wendy “one of her last chances to exercise her autonomy and honestly reach her fans in exactly the frank and unfiltered manner that was the hallmark of her career".
Wendy Williams' longtime publicist Shawn Zanotti didn’t hold back her disappointment with the documentary.
She told NBC News: “I felt that [Wendy] was being exploited. She thought we were focusing on the comeback of her career… She would be mortified. There’s no way you can convince me that she would be OK with looking and seeing herself in that way.”
Zanotti also shared her frustrations with People
— admitting that while she initially encouraged Wendy to participate,
she felt deceived by the final product. “I would never let Wendy put her
name and brand on the line like that ever. She’s an icon. It’s not the
story we signed up for, and I feel lied to. It’s so difficult for me to
even watch," she told the outlet.
That said, Wendy's future remains uncertain. 'The Wendy Williams Show', a
beloved staple of daytime TV for 13 years, aired its final episode in
June 2022—without Wendy making an appearance.
Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams’ family refutes legal guardian’s claim talk show queen is ‘permanently incapacitated’
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Wendy Williams is ‘permanently’ incapacitated from dementia battle: guardian
Wendy Williams’ Legal Guardian Shares Heartbreaking Health Update
In a Nov. 12 court filing obtained by The Post, attorneys for Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, said that Williams, 60, “has become cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and incapacitated” from her dementia battle.
Morrissey is currently in a legal battle with Lifetime over the release of the documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?,” which came out in February.
Since May 2022, she’s been been under a court ordered guardianship that oversees her health and finances after her bank, Wells Fargo, claimed she was “incapacitated.”
In the filing, Morrissey’s attorneys pleaded to the court to redact aspects of Williams’ “health, familial relationships, and finances” that are outlined in the case to protect her privacy.
The defendants’ defense was also listed in the filing. They claimed the case arises from Morrissey’s “misguided efforts to attempt to excuse her own failure to protect her ward.”
In the filing, Morrissey and the defendants requested a trial that they anticipate will last two to four weeks.
The Post has reached out to Williams’ rep for comment.
Morrissey previously filed a lawsuit about the doc in September, alleging that Williams was “highly vulnerable and clearly incapable of consenting to being filmed, much less humiliated and exploited.”
Before the Lifetime documentary came out, Williams’ family told People that the “Think Like A Man Too” star is in a care facility. Her loved ones also claimed they can only speak to her when she calls them.
In addition to the aphasia and dementia diagnoses, Williams has dealt with a myriad of other health issues including Graves’ disease and Lymphedema. She’s also struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction.
Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams is ‘permanently’ incapacitated from dementia battle: guardian
