Wendy Williams Has ‘Alcohol-Induced Dementia’ Son Says in New Doc

Wendy Williams’ dementia is “alcohol-induced,” according to her son Kevin Hunter Jr.

He made the revelation in the two-part documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?” which aired on Lifetime over the weekend.

The 23-year-old explained on Sunday’s episode, “I was able to really learn more about things going on with my mother internally. They basically said that because she was drinking so much, it was starting to affect her headspace and her brain. So, I think they said it was alcohol-induced dementia.”

While her care team just announced last week that the former talk show host was suffering from aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the doc notes Wendy was told about the alcohol-related diagnosis back in 2019, and her niece Alex says in the doc that she learned her aunt had dementia in 2022.

“All I know is that it was dementia,” Alex said. “You look back at little things, and it's a slow roll. It's little things like, ‘When's your birthday again?' You know? 'What's his name again?’”

She went on, “After seeing my aunt and really spending time with her in a state where she's in right now, I quickly realized that things were just not normal. It's heartbreaking.”

Alex insisted that Williams’ “divorce, the pandemic, and then losing my grandmother” made things worse for Wendy over the past few years.

“Where Is Wendy Williams?” shows one instance, from March 2023, where Wendy was out to lunch with her publicist in Los Angeles.

The star drinks vodka and then burps loudly in the restaurant. Afterward, while discussing plans for a new talk show, she gets confused, saying she doesn’t want to shoot it “here in Miami,” even though she’s in L.A.

After her FTD diagnosis, Wendy received a court-appointed guardian to look after her, rather than her family.

Her sister Wanda shared in the doc, “I don't know the exact location of where she is, but I know that she is in an environment that is helping her to heal, emotionally, psychologically, and physically. That's what I hope happens when she gets home.”

Wanda said her sister is in “a more positive place” than a year ago, adding, “It's almost like I'm talking to Wendy from years ago. It really is. She said, ‘Family is very important, Wanda. I realize that I need to be with my family. I’m ready to move on.’”

Wanda continued, “Her resilience is unparalleled, it’s unmatched. I know people go through a lot of stuff every day. She has withstood attack after attack after attack. She is my hero because even now with what she’s going through, to be able to withstand it and still come back, to still have conversations, that takes a special person. So, she will always be my hero. I will do whatever has to be done to help her be healthy.”

At another point, Wanda explained, “I hope to come out of this letting people see the love that we have as a family together for each other as well as the love we have for Wendy, and to understand the journey we've been through that has not always been perfect. Everyone wanted the same thing, which is to see Wendy healthy and happy.”

Wanda also shared the family’s struggle over not being her caretakers, “I was told that it involved taking some kind of class, and I said, 'Yeah, I'll do it.' I said, 'Whatever I gotta do, I'll be focused on Wendy's health.' And then all of a sudden, the wall came down and there was nothing.”

Kevin also spoke out about his mom’s future.

He explained, “I still see glimpses of my mom very often. She still has a chance to live a good and healthy life, but she needs to want to live that. I think that she's just weak and vulnerable and she needs to be around people who aren't gonna take advantage of that.”

Kevin does believe she should be with her family in Florida.

“I think that my mother should have family surrounding her,” he said. “I've talked to her a lot about her staying in Florida and how much it would benefit her where she can't harm herself… I feel like my mom should never be by herself or alone.”

Kevin said when court proceedings started his power of attorney was taken away and he was told if the family took her to Florida “it’d be considered kidnapping.”

When asked if Williams should have a guardian, Kevin said, “I think that my mother should have family. The family's side of the story hasn't been told, so it's kind of left this gray space of who's really telling the truth or what's really going on. I've always wanted the best for my mom. You know, I just stay strong.”

In the doc, her manager Will Shelby addresses whether Wendy could move to Florida, saying, “Everything with Wendy is a court decision — everything. She’s not making any decisions on her own. Everything has to be decided by the court.”

Days ago, Wendy spoke out for the first time regarding her diagnosis.