Wendy Williams has largely stayed out of the spotlight since her self-titled show was canceled in June 2022, but a new Lifetime documentary attempts to capture Wendy’s comeback as she launched her podcast career. However, he only witnessed her struggle. alcoholism And further health concerns.
On Saturday, days after it was revealed that Wendy was diagnosed with “primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)” in 2023, according to her rep, “Where’s Wendy Williams?” The first two episodes were released on Saturday.
Here are five of the biggest revelations from Wendy’s documentary.
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Wendy Williams’ documentary explores the rise and fall of the iconic talk show host. (Getty Images)
Wendy’s struggle with alcoholism: “I love vodka”
Throughout the documentary, Wendy’s history of alcoholism is revealed. When her production company asked her if she still had “substance abuse issues,” she answered candidly.
“Well, I love Tito Puente. I love vodka,” Wendy said. “And the problem with Wanda is that she’s my sister. I love her, but she hates that I’m an alcoholic.”
Williams noted that her son, Kevin Jr., also disliked her drinking alcohol.
Her longtime friend Regina Schell says Wendy’s alcoholism peaked when she and ex-husband Kevin Hunter, with whom she had a child with another woman while she was still married. claimed to have reached its peak at the end of their marriage.
Williams entered a treatment facility in 2019, but returned to New York for the show and lived in a sober house during filming. (Leah S. Sabenok)
Williams entered a treatment facility in 2019, but returned to New York for the show and lived in a sober house during filming. She entered a wellness center for two months during the filming of the documentary, but she did not know why she was admitted.
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Her manager, Will Selby, searched her home and attempted to dump bottles of alcohol hidden around the apartment.
Wendy returned to public life for one night in February 2023, having dinner with Selby at Fresco by Scott in Manhattan. She ordered alcohol, but Selby privately told the server to change her order to a non-alcoholic version.
When producers asked Williams why she likes to drink, Wendy replied, “Because I can. Just because I value alcohol.”
Williams almost died in 2020
DJ Buch, who appeared on “The Wendy Williams Show,” recalled that he was worried about his health when Wendy began filming her talk show from her New York City apartment in 2020 due to the pandemic. .
She once lived in a sober house while working on “The Wendy Williams Show,” which treated addiction issues. (Getty Images)
Williams received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019. (Getty Images)
Buch recalled that Wendy had taken strict quarantine measures and isolated herself from the outside world. He held up her cue cards behind a ring light, but said she “didn’t show her emotions” at times during her filming.
“This is not because of the coronavirus,” he recalled of her delayed response.
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Williams’ nephew Travis Finney said DJ Buch was the one who found Wendy unresponsive in her home in May 2020. Wendy was rushed to the hospital and received three blood transfusions.
“DJ Buch was there and called us crying and said she was dying and needed help,” Wendy’s nephew Travis Finney said in the documentary. “We called Kevin, who was her medical representative at the time. He called an ambulance. The ambulance came. Her aunt received three blood transfusions. That’s why she’s alive now. It’s the only reason I’m there.”
“From what DJ Boof said, it’s a combination of sitting her on the bed, giving her a drink, and then thinking she’s ready.”
Buch added: “I felt like she wasn’t the same person anymore.”
Wendy’s battle with lymphedema
Former talk show host reveals about her I was diagnosed with lymphedema in 2019.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this chronic disease refers to tissue swelling caused by a buildup of protein-rich fluid that is normally drained through the body’s lymphatic system. Lymphedema most commonly “affects the arms and legs, but can also occur in the chest wall, abdomen, neck, and genitals.”
The former talk show host revealed her diagnosis of lymphedema in 2019. (Getty Images)
Wendy’s legs are swollen and she admits she should be in a wheelchair.
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She tried to train with a personal trainer friend of Ms Selby’s, but she adamantly disengaged during the session and continued to say “no thanks” when he tried to help her in the gym.
Wendy reiterated that her condition meant she could only feel about “six percent” of each leg.
Wendy has suffered from health problems for years. In October 2017, Williams “overheated” while wearing a Halloween costume and passed out during a show. Then, in February 2018, she took her three weeks off to deal with issues related to Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism.
Wendy doesn’t have access to money
In 2022, a legal guardian was appointed to protect her finances and health, and court documents were sealed. Wendy then filed a temporary restraining order against Wells Fargo asking the court to “reopen frozen accounts and assets” and allow Williams “access to any accompanying statements.”
In 2022, a legal guardian was appointed to protect her finances and health, and court documents were sealed. (Bravo/NBCU Photobank via Getty Images)
The bank’s move reportedly came after Williams’ former financial advisor claimed that Williams was “of unsound mind,” according to Williams’ court filings.
“One judge and three doctors are saying my money is still sitting at Wells Fargo. They’re going to say something to me about what happened to me,” Williams said in the documentary. It could happen to you too.”
Williams’ son Kevin Jr. was grilled for embezzling her money, but in the documentary, Williams denies ever exploiting her. “I’ve never taken one. [money] without her consent,” he said.
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“My mother gave me a power of attorney because at the time the bank started accusing the family of misrepresentation and saying that my mother didn’t have the right to make choices,” he said. Ta.
Williams was married to Kevin Hunter for 21 years, and they divorced in 2019 after it was revealed they had fathered another child during their marriage. (Getty Images)
Wendy has one son, Kevin Jr., with her ex-husband. (Getty Images)
Her nephew, Travis Finney, who was also helping care for her in Florida, said the bank questioned the $100,000 purchase price. He recalled that Kevin’s birthday party that Wendy booked cost him more than $100,000, Kevin’s rent was $80,000, and his Uber Eats bill was “probably over $100,000.”
“I highly doubt they would file a lawsuit and take him away from his mother’s care,” Travis said.
When producers asked if Wendy still supported Kevin Jr., Wendy became emotional and said, “I have a lot of money. I want it for my son.” I did.
Manager says Wendy has become ‘more aggressive’
Williams’ volatile personality is shown throughout the documentary through simple interactions with her team.
“Sometimes Wendy gets a little more aggressive. She’s just a little more demanding,” Selby said. “We don’t know what it is. We don’t know if there’s something special in the water. After all, she’s probably the greatest we’ve seen in a while. He’s one of the characters.”
He later said, “It’s normal for Wendy to be angry. She changes her mind all the time.
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In one scene, Wendy punches a manicurist while getting a manicure at home. After the technician confirmed that Williams only wanted one coat of nail polish, Wendy yelled at her to “take that off” on her nails. “Are you stupid?” Wendy asked the manicurist.
Wendy’s self-titled show canceled for June 2022 (Lloyd Bishop)
The talk show host told the production staff, “She hates me. It’s okay. She’s young, she’s going to learn.”
In another scene, she barks at publicist Sean Zanotti, calling him a “stupid” before telling Zanotti he needs liposuction.
Shortly after, Ms. Williams got into an argument with Mr. Zanotti over which smoking area she should buy her own vape pen. Zanotti was ordered to return the vape pen multiple times, but due to Wendy’s erratic behavior, producers on the documentary crew intervened and stopped filming.
The 59-year-old television personality was diagnosed with the disease in 2023, her representative confirmed in a statement Thursday. On Friday, Williams’ representatives shared a personal statement from a talk show host hosted by her care team.
“I want to express my immense gratitude for the love and kind words I received after I shared my diagnosis of aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD),” Williams wrote. “Let me just say wow! Your response was overwhelming.”
He added, “I continue to need personal space and peace to grow. Please know that I deeply appreciate your positivity and encouragement.”
