Wendy Williams, the one-time host of her popular, Daytime Emmy-nominated namesake talk show, has been diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. While this is terrible news – especially to her legion of fans – one can only hope that it will bring even more attention to the disease, which gained much more attention once it was revealed that Bruce Willis has been going through similar circumstances.
A statement on Wendy Williams’ condition (via The Hollywood Reporter) reads: “As Wendy’s fans are aware, in the past she has been open with the public about her medical struggles with Graves’ Disease and Lymphedema as well as other significant challenges related to her health…Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy’s ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times and have difficulty understanding financial transactions.”
This weekend, a multi-part Lifetime documentary titled Where Is Wendy Williams? will air. However, representatives for Williams want fans to know that it may even be outdated in a way already, with her sister stating, “I spoke with her yesterday and I speak with her very regularly when she reaches out to me.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…We cannot reach out to her, but she can reach out to us. And she is in a healing place emotionally. She’s not the person that you see in this film.” The reason some family members claim they cannot have contact with Williams is due to her currently being under court-appointed legal guardianship, which itself has drawn the ire of those who have known her the longest.
The documentary began filming in 2022, the same year The Wendy Williams Show went off the air partly due to her ongoing health issues. On average, the show took in more than 1.5 million viewers on a daily basis. Over its 13-season run, the show had more than 1,500 episodes.
Another portion of the statement reads: “Wendy is still able to do many things for herself. Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed. She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way.” With that, we do wish Wendy Williams luck in her ongoing battle. Considering how wide her fanbase is, perhaps her diagnosis can further highlight the struggle of those who are currently going through all of this.