Television May 09, 2025
ID Announces May 19 Premiere Date for ‘Trapped: What Is Happening to Wendy Williams?’
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Investigation Discovery, in partnership with Telepictures, has announced the debut of "Trapped: What Is Happening to Wendy Williams?," an hour-long special presented by "Extra," which will premiere Monday, May 19, at 8/7c on ID and will be available to stream on Max.
The documentary will delve into the #FreeWendy movement and the current push by Williams’ fans and loved ones to have her released from the guardianship she has been under since 2022.
The project marks the first collaboration between "Extra," Warner Bros. Television Group’s Telepictures, and ID.
One of the most influential voices in radio, daytime television, and pop culture, Wendy Williams built a storied career over her decades in the entertainment industry. In 2022, following the end of her eponymous talk show and speculation around her mental and physical health, Williams entered into a guardianship. The guardianship eventually revealed Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, and she was placed in a memory care facility in New York City. Despite the guardianship’s claims about Williams’ current state, her fanbase has activated a #FreeWendy movement calling for Williams to have the opportunity to regain control of her life. "Trapped: What Is Happening to Wendy Williams?" goes inside this push for Williams’ release, provides info into her rise to fame and influence on pop culture and chronicles the personal and professional struggles leading to her guardianship.
Watch the trailer!
"Trapped" will feature access to journalists who have covered Williams throughout her career, medical and legal experts who weigh in on her current diagnosis and guardianship status, and extensive archival footage from "Extra's" vault. "Trapped" will also showcase an extensive interview with Yazmin Ramos, former Senior Producer on "The Wendy Williams Show." Ramos, who worked with Williams for 12 years from the inception of the show, offers insight behind the scenes of the series and into Williams’ life in the public spotlight. Through these interviews and archival footage from across Williams’ career, as well as on-the-ground access to the #FreeWendy movement, "Trapped" offers a holistic look into Williams’ push to regain control of her life.
"Trapped: What Is Happening to Wendy Williams?" is produced for Investigation Discovery by Telepictures in association with Warner Bros. Unscripted Television. "Extra's" Jeremy Spiegel and Theresa Coffino are executive producers, Matt Ferrell is co-executive producer, and Alex Castino is senior supervising producer.
