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Despite her 2023 diagnosis of frontotemporal demensia and aphasia, former TV talk show host Wendy Williams is now disputing claims of her ailing health and says she is being abused by her guardianship.
“I am not cognitively impaired,” Williams said while calling into iHeartRadio’s The Breakfast Club Thursday, adding that she wants to be released from the New York City care facility where she’s been living. “I feel like I’m in a prison.” (Go here to listen to the broadcast.)
The television star elaborated on the facility's strict security measures, revealing that her family is unable to reach her, and expressing that she feels as though she is being kept “captive.”
“For the past three years, I’ve celebrated my birthday alone,” she revealed. “This is a form of emotional abuse.” Williams’ niece, Alex Finnie, who also participated in the program, supported Williams’ statements, describing the facility as “a high-end prison.”
Williams previously spoke out on her dementia and aphasia diagnoses, thanking fans for “the love and kind words” in a statement to People magazine. “Your response has been overwhelming. The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion.”
She added: “I continue to need personal space and peace to thrive. Please just know that your positivity and encouragement are deeply appreciated.”
Shortly after the diagnosis was announced, Lifetime premiered Where is Wendy Williams?, a four-part documentary produced by Williams herself. The program offers “a raw, honest and unfiltered reality of Wendy’s life after she was placed under financial guardianship, shedding light on the vulnerabilities that has turned Wendy into the Hot Topic herself,” per the official synopsis. “Suffering mental and physical issues, Wendy’s delicate state of mind, erratic behavior and declining health were all captured by the cameras.”
Williams’ guardian Sabrina Morrissey sought legal action against Lifetime ahead of the premiere, asking that the documentary not be aired. After appearing in court, however, Lifetime was able to air the documentary as planned.
Williams’ health struggles first came to light in 2017, when a fainting spell in the middle of a live broadcast caused many to begin questioning her health. She went public with a Graves’ disease diagnosis in 2018, one year before announcing that she was also living in a sober house. She hosted her final episode of the now-defunct Wendy Williams Show in 2021, and financial troubles soon followed.
