The assisted living facility housing Wendy Williams reportedly contacted police, claiming her niece violated the law by taking her out to dinner.
The Coterie filed a report with the New York Police Department (NYPD) when Alex Finnie took the former television host out for a meal Wednesday, sources tied to Williams and her guardian told TMZ. Finnie reportedly accompanied Williams from the hospital where she had received a psychological evaluation back to the Coterie where they spent some time together.
The two then went out to an Italian restaurant, which the facility —where Williams has been staying for the past eight months — claimed was against the law, sources said.
Williams has repeatedly claimed she can only exit the fifth floor memory unit with permission from an attendant who would need to unlock the elevator, which is reportedly what happened during this outing.
The 60-year-old told TMZ the incident was “unbelievable.”
The facility where #WendyWilliams is being housed filed a police report claiming that her niece broke the law by taking her to dinner 😱 Here, they respond to the filing.
FULL STORY 👉 https://t.co/04DGUtxBVL
📽️: Backgrid pic.twitter.com/u36oSLlgfv
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 13, 2025
“Clearly, they are lying to me when they say I can go out and do what I want to do,” Williams told TMZ.
Finnie said the facility claimed she took her aunt out without consent, which she firmly denied.
“I’m wondering how exactly that correlates with the statements that the guardian [Sabrina Morrissey] has made that Wendy is able to come and go as she pleases and that there are no family visits that are blocked,” she said.
Williams, who battles Graves’ disease and lymphedema, has repeatedly voiced concerns about her treatment at the Coterie, insisting that her mental health has been misrepresented.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 21: Wendy Williams attends a private dinner at Fresco By Scotto on February 21, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage) Getty Images
TMZ reported that Williams can’t exit the fifth floor memory unit without an attendant pushing the elevator button for her. A source said an attendant actually walked the Daytime Emmy nominee and her niece to the facility’s lobby and opened their Uber door for them to enter the vehicle.
A lawyer representing Williams’ guardian issued a letter to TMZ saying she was free to come and go from the facility and there were no restrictions on family visits.
Concerns surrounding Williams’ guardianship led fans to create the #FreeWendy movement, similar to the one launched to help Britney Spears escape her conservatorship. (RELATED: Beach Boys Star Brian Wilson Placed In Conservatorship Amid Battle With Dementia)
This situation continues to unfold.
