Celebrity News February 21, 2024
Wendy Williams’ Family Speaks Out About Her Struggles
Wendy Williams’ family is opening up to People magazine about her “shocking and heartbreaking” struggles.
The story comes days before the new Lifetime documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?” drops on February 24.
The project promises to reveal the unfiltered truth of what the star’s life has become after she abruptly left her hit talk show “The Wendy Williams Show” more than two years ago.
A trailer for the doc, which was executive produced by Wendy, shows her tucked away, battling personal demons and a mysterious health crisis.
Ahead of the premiere, her loved ones are sharing their concerns.
Williams’ niece Alex Finnie, who is featured in the doc, told People, “We've all seen the images over the last few months — and, really, few years — of what has seemed like a spiral for my aunt. It was shocking and heartbreaking to see her in this state.”
People reports the documentary was meant to show Wendy launching her new podcast in 2022, but instead pivoted to her personal life, including battles with alcohol and Graves’ disease.
According to the magazine, the documentary reveals that filming stopped in April 2023 when Wendy entered a facility to treat cognitive issues. In the doc, her son Kevin Hunter Jr. says doctors have tied the issues to alcohol use.
Williams was assigned a court-appointed legal guardian. According to Wendy’s family, that person is the only one with unrestricted access to the star.
Shocking Wendy Williams Doc Reveals Mysterious Health Crisis, Financial Woes — Watch the Trailer
View StoryThe family adds that she’s still at the facility, but they don’t know where she is. While they can’t call her, she can reach out to them.
Wendy’s sister Wanda, who is Alex’s mom, shared, "I spoke with her yesterday and I speak with her very regularly when she reaches out to me. She is, from what I understand, in a wellness, healing type of environment,"
At one point, Wanda added, "The people who love her cannot see her. I think the big [question] is: How the hell did we get here?”
People reports that trouble started in fall 2021 when Wendy’s show was delayed, and by early 2022 Wells Fargo had frozen her accounts because her financial advisor said she was of “unsound mind.” She was later placed under a temporary financial guardianship.
Fast-forward to May, and the courts had assigned an independent legal guardian to oversee Wendy’s finances and health.
Her family tells People they don’t know why.
Wanda shared, “All I know is that Wendy and her team walked into the courtroom one way, and they walked out, and the family is completely excluded.”
Shortly after, in June 2022, “The Wendy Williams Show” was canceled.
The two-part doc “Where Is Wendy Williams?” airs on Lifetime February 24 and 25.