Wendy Williams to Testify in Lifetime Documentary Case
Wendy Williams is set to give a deposition for a Lifetime documentary, despite her diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and aphasia.
A judge overseeing Williams’ lawsuit against Lifetime and its parent company, A&E, approved the network’s request for her testimony, as reported earlier this week.
Williams is expected to participate in what’s known as a “bene esse” deposition, a legal process in situations where a witness’s memory or health may hinder their ability to testify in the future.
The deposition is scheduled to take place by November 4th and is expected to last no longer than three hours.
At 61, Williams is allowed to testify remotely, but her responses will be limited to just two lawyers from the defense side, along with one from her own legal team during the proceedings regarding her guardianship.
She will be given adequate breaks, and the judge emphasized that her condition will not prevent her from providing testimony.
The onus is on the judge to determine how much weight to assign to Williams’ deposition, given her circumstances.
Earlier this month, the attorney for A&E claimed that they wouldn’t distribute a documentary deemed too troubling, while an opposing lawyer stated they believed the network had overlooked proper legal procedures.
A representative for Williams has not yet commented on this situation.
Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, had previously filed a lawsuit alleging that the documentary titled “Where is Wendy Williams?” was produced without her approval, questioning Williams’ mental capacity to consent to participation.
This lawsuit first emerged in February 2024, as Morrissey sought to halt the documentary’s release, claiming that Williams lacked the legal capacity to make such decisions at that time.
Williams was diagnosed with dementia and aphasia in February 2024, though she maintains she does not consider herself cognitively impaired. Following additional cognitive assessments in August, she reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with her health report but remains hopeful about regaining her independence from guardianship.
