Current:Home > Invest'Where Is Wendy Williams?': The biggest bombshells from Lifetime's documentary -FundCenter
'Where Is Wendy Williams?': The biggest bombshells from Lifetime's documentary
View
Date:2025-04-16 17:47:24
Days after Wendy Williams' frontotemporal dementia diagnosis was revealed, the talk show host's declining health was the focus of a raw new Lifetime documentary.
The network on Saturday aired the first part of its documentary "Where Is Wendy Williams?," which shows Williams struggling with her health, including the autoimmune disorder Graves' disease. It also deals with Williams being placed under a financial guardianship in 2022. She says she has "no money" as a result.
The former talk show host also thanked well-wishers for their supportive response amid her diagnosis.
"I want to say I have immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis of Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming," Williams said in a statement released to The Associated Press through a representative for her care team. "The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion."
These were the biggest revelations from the first episodes of the documentary.
Wendy Williams maintains she's 'very healthy' after wellness center stay
Early in "Where Is Wendy Williams?," Williams pushes back on the decision to admit her to a wellness center in California, which occurred soon after she was first interviewed for the documentary in 2022. She says her manager, Will Selby, and guardian took her there, but when asked why, she insists, "I don't know."
After Selby interjects to say that Williams "needed some rest," she says she "can rest right here." Williams then declines to answer more questions. "I'm very healthy," she says.
Wendy Williams' nephew says she almost died in 2020
In the documentary, Williams' friend and former co-worker, DJ Boof, describes becoming concerned about her health while working with her as she filmed her talk show from home in 2020. Noting her delayed reactions and tiredness, he says he thought, "This is not COVID doing this."
Williams was hospitalized that May. Her nephew, Travis Finnie, says that DJ Boof "was there, and he called us crying, saying that she's going to die, and she needs help." Finnie adds that Williams received three blood transfusions, and "that's the only reason she's alive today." He blames this medical emergency on Williams' drinking.
DJ Boof also recalls going to the hospital to check on Williams at that time and being unsure if she knew who he was. "I just felt like she wasn't the same person anymore," he said.
Wendy Williams Lifetime documentarywill air despite her guardian's lawsuit, judge rules
Wendy Williams didn't know she wouldn't return to her show
Williams' talk show was canceled in February 2022 after she had been on hiatus due to her health issues. Her niece, Alex Finnie, describes sharing this news with Williams, who still believed she would return to the show.
"My aunt did not know she was not going back to the show," Finnie says, adding that after she told her the show had been canceled, "She didn't believe it."
Wendy Williams' son says he hasn't seen her in 8 months
Kevin Hunter Jr., Williams' son, says during one interview for the documentary that he last saw his mother eight months ago, when she came down to Florida to spend time with her family in 2021.
During that time, Williams appeared to be doing "a lot better," her nephew, Travis Finnie, said.
According to Finnie, she returned to New York to deal with the court case in which she was placed under financial guardianship. Ever since then, Williams' son has been "completely financially cut off," Finnie says. But Hunter denies that he was trying to exploit Williams financially.
Wendy Williams' loved ones express concern about her drinking
Throughout the documentary, those around Williams express concern about her drinking.
In one scene, her manager, Will Selby, confronts her about finding an empty bottle of alcohol in her room. Selby says he looks for alcohol in her apartment every time he comes over and has found bottles in her bathroom and closets.
Later, Williams orders an alcoholic beverage at a restaurant, but Selby privately tells the waiter to bring her a virgin drink. Williams also says alcohol has led to tension with her son. But she defends her drinking, saying, "I bet we all drink. Why can't I?"
Talk show host Wendy Williamsdiagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia
Filming shuts down after Wendy Williams displays erratic behavior
An extended scene in the second episode sees Williams being driven to a vape shop but sparking confusion after insisting it's not the same shop she usually goes to. She berates her publicist, sending her into the shop multiple times, and tells her driver to look around for a different location. Eventually, the documentary producers step in to say they need to stop filming. After the incident, Williams' driver expresses concern that she's "losing memory," saying she sometimes doesn't know who he is.
Williams behaves aggressively towards people around her at multiple other points, including by telling her publicist to get liposuction. "There are some times when Wendy is just a little bit more aggressive," Selby says.
"Where Is Wendy Williams?" will continue Sunday on Lifetime at 8 p.m. ET.
veryGood! (5448)
Related
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- How the Dance Mom Cast Feels About Nia Sioux, Kenzie and Maddie Ziegler Skipping the Reunion
- 'Pure evil': Pennsylvania nurse connected to 17 patient deaths sentenced to hundreds of years
- Nurse accused of beating, breaking the leg of blind, non-verbal child in California home
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- 'Unacceptable': At least 15 Portland police cars burned, arson investigation underway
- Indianapolis police shoot male who pointed a weapon at other people and threatened them
- At Trump trial, Stormy Daniels' ex-lawyer Keith Davidson details interactions with Michael Cohen
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Pennsylvania man convicted of kidnapping a woman, driving her to a Nevada desert and suffocating her
Ranking
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Mississippi Republicans revive bill to regulate transgender bathroom use in schools
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott won't face charges for alleged sexual assault in 2017
- What defines a heartbeat? Judge hears arguments in South Carolina abortion case
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- 'Mrs. Doubtfire' child stars reunite 30 years later: 'Still feels like family'
- What defines a heartbeat? Judge hears arguments in South Carolina abortion case
- Iowa investigator’s email says athlete gambling sting was a chance to impress higher-ups and public
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
New Bumble feature gives women a different way to 'make the first move'
What defines a heartbeat? Judge hears arguments in South Carolina abortion case
French police peacefully remove pro-Palestinian students occupying a university building in Paris
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
IRS says its number of audits is about to surge. Here's who the agency is targeting.
Minnesota sports betting bill runs afoul of partisan rancor over state senator’s burglary arrest
Ohio launches effort to clean up voter rolls ahead of November’s presidential election