Wendy Williams recognized with dementia; household questions guardianship

[Editor’s note]: Shortly after this story was printed, Wendy Williams’ staff confirmed in a press launch that the discuss present host had been recognized with dementia and aphasia. The unique story continues under.

[Original story]: Forward of the brand new Lifetime documentary The place Is Wendy Williams?, the ex-talk present host’s household has opened up about Williams’ present authorized scenario. In 2022, Wells Fargo petitioned to have Williams positioned underneath guardianship after freezing her accounts, claiming that she was of “unsound thoughts.” Now, her sister Wanda Finnie and niece Alex Finnie inform Individuals they aren’t in a position to contact Williams and have been stored at nighttime about her authorized standing.

“All I do know is that Wendy and her staff walked into the courtroom a technique, and so they walked out, and the household is totally excluded,” Wanda advised that outlet. The popular culture icon has been in a facility to deal with cognitive points for 10 months, and her guardian—whose identification will not be publicly accessible—is the one one with “unfettered entry” to her. Reportedly, Williams can name her household, however the household is unable to succeed in her themselves. But Wanda claimed her sister’s “want, as I perceive it, is to be in Florida along with her household.”

The place Is Wendy Williams? govt producer Mark Ford advised Individuals Williams’ guardian refused to reply questions in regards to the scenario (“Why is the household not in a position to be part of Wendy’s life? Why is the household not in a position to function her guardian?”), and after they have been filming, noticed that the star was not receiving care (he famous there was “no meals in Wendy’s residence”). A turning level got here when the documentary crew discovered Williams unconscious in her residence: “The guardian did come round and was attentive to our pleas … to get her right into a safer place.”

Williams’ struggles with dependancy, on high of well being points together with Graves’ illness and lymphedema, have unfolded in entrance of the general public, and shall be explored within the documentary. (Williams is listed as an govt producer of the doc.) Nonetheless, she has supposedly been responding to therapy within the facility and sounds higher than she has “in years,” in accordance with her niece Alex. But she doesn’t have the facility to go away the ability of her personal accord. Her court-appointed guardian controls if and when Williams can try.

“How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is wholesome one minute to this one who’s out and in of the hospital?” Wanda questioned. “How is that system higher than the system the household may put in place? I don’t know. I do know that this technique is damaged. I hope that in some unspecified time in the future, Wendy turns into sturdy sufficient the place she will converse on her personal behalf.”