Wendy Williams is 'cognitively impaired and permanently ...
Wendy Williams has become “cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated,” according to a memo filed by her guardian’s lawyers.
The 60-year-old former talk show host has been “afflicted by early-onset dementia,” resulting in her incapacitation, attorneys for her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, said in a legal filing in New York court on Nov. 12.
Williams was diagnosed in 2023 with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, her team said in a statement in February.
Primary progressive aphasia is a nervous system syndrome that affects the ability to communicate. Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, refers to a group of diseases that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, and is usually associated with behavioral and personality changes, as well as difficulty with language, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The filing is part of a lawsuit Morrissey filed against A&E Television Networks, Lifetime Entertainment Services, and others in connection with the release of the docuseries “Where is Wendy Williams?” in February.
In the Nov. 12 memo, attorneys for Morrissey asked the court to approve some redactions of sensitive, “non-public information” to the defense's portion of a joint status letter in Williams' guardianship case to protect her privacy. That case is under seal.
It said that the proposed redactions “are very narrowly drawn and do not undermine the public’s ability to understand the core facts and legal arguments at issue in this litigation.”
In 2022, Williams’ bank, Wells Fargo, petitioned to have her placed under financial guardianship, claiming she was “incapacitated” and “a victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.” Williams later pushed back against those claims.
Williams hosted the “The Wendy Williams Show” from 2008 to 2021.
Speculation about Williams’ health began in 2017, after she fainted live on the air.
Williams has been open with her audience about her struggles with addiction. In 2019 she told viewers that she was living in a sober house and that she had sought treatment for drug use. She had also revealed she was taking time off because of Graves’ disease, which is an autoimmune disorder.
Williams was also absent from her show in 2021 and 2022 because of health reasons, Variety reported. Sherri Shepherd took over the time slot in 2022, before “The Wendy Williams Show” was eventually canceled.
In the time that she was off air, Wells Fargo petitioned that Williams receive financial guardianship.
Williams essentially retired from the public eye in 2022.
In the suit filed by Morrissey, she claims that those involved with the docuseries took advantage of a "vulnerable" Williams “in the cruelest, most obscene way possible for their own financial gain.”
"As is patently obvious from the very first few minutes of the Program itself, W.W.H. was highly vulnerable and clearly incapable of consenting to being filmed, much less humiliated and exploited," the complaint in the case said.
The complaint said that profits from the series should go to Williams, who “will need significant funding to provide for proper medical care and supervision for the rest of her life.”
A&E did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment on Wednesday.
A&E had previously told NBC News about the suit, “We look forward to the unsealing of our papers as well, as they tell a very different story.” The docuseries filmmakers told TODAY.com in February they were not aware of Williams’ diagnosis during production, though they acknowledged: “Some days, Wendy was on and very Wendy. Other days, she wasn’t.”
Representatives for Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Marlene Lenthang
Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
