According to a memo submitted by Wendy Williams’ guardian’s attorneys, she has developed cognitive impairment and is now permanently handicapped.
Attorneys for her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, stated in a Nov. 12 court filing in New York that the 60-year-old former talk show presenter has been incapacitated due to early-onset dementia.
According to a statement released by her team in February, Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia in 2023.
A syndrome of the neurological system that impairs communication is primary progressive aphasia.According to the Mayo Clinic, frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a set of disorders that impact the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. It is typically linked to behavioral and personality abnormalities, as well as language difficulties.
The document is a component of a lawsuit Morrissey brought against Lifetime Entertainment Services, A&E Television Networks, and other parties in relation to the February premiere of the documentary series Where is Wendy Williams?
Morrissesy’s lawyers requested in the document dated November 12 that the court provide permission to redact some private and sensitive information from the defense’s section of a joint status letter in Williams’ guardianship petition in order to preserve her privacy. The case is sealed.
It stated that the proposed redactions are quite limited and do not impair the public’s comprehension of the main facts and legal contentions in this case.
Wells Fargo, Williams’ bank, filed a petition in 2022 to place her under financial guardianship, arguing that she was financially exploited and incompetent due to undue influence. Williams subsequently denied those allegations.
From 2008 until 2021, Williams was the host of The Wendy Williams Show.
Williams fainted live on the air in 2017, sparking speculation about her health.
Williams has been candid about her battles with addiction with her audience. She disclosed to viewers in 2019 that she had sought drug treatment and was residing in a sober home. She also disclosed that she was taking a leave of absence due to Graves disease, an autoimmune condition.
According to Variety, Williams missed her show in 2021 and 2022 due to health issues. Prior to the final cancellation of The Wendy Williams Show, Sherri Shepherd occupied the time slot in 2022.
Wells Fargo requested financial guardianship for Williams during her off-air period.
In 2022, Williams effectively left the spotlight.
Morrissey’s lawsuit alleges that the docuseries’ producers exploited a “vulnerable” Williams in the most heinous and heinous manner possible in order to enrich themselves.
“As is patently obvious from the very first few minutes of the Program itself, W.W.H. was highly vulnerable and clearly incapable of consenting to being filmed, much less humiliated and exploited,” according to the complaint.
Williams, who will require substantial financial support to ensure appropriate medical care and supervision for the remainder of her life, should receive the revenues from the series, according to the complaint.
An NBC News request for comment on Wednesday was not immediately answered by A&E.
“We look forward to the unsealing of our papers as well, as they tell a very different story,” A&E had previously told NBC News regarding the lawsuit. The makers of the documentary series admitted to TODAY.com in February that they were unaware of Williams’ condition while the show was in production, although they did admit that on some days, Wendy was very Wendy. She wasn’t on other days.
A request for response from Williams’s representatives was not immediately answered.
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