A little over a year after it was first reported that Wendy Williams was diagnosed with dementia, the former talk show host’s legal guardian claims she has been “permanently incapacitated” from the neurological disease.
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In a new legal document obtained by TMZ, Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, states she has been “afflicted by early onset dementia,” leaving her both “cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated.”
Wendy Williams was diagnosed with dementia in May 2023, less than a year after her self-titled show ended.
The latest court filing is part of Morrissey’s legal battle with the creators of the Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary. Morrissey filed a lawsuit against Lifetime’s parent company, A+E Networks, to stop the documentary from premiering.
However, the documentary ended up being released. It showed the struggles Williams was facing in her personal life, including her battle with alcoholism. It was revealed shortly after the documentary’s production ended that Williams had been diagnosed with both dementia and aphasia.
Morrissey claimed in previous court filings that the documentary crew made “likely millions” with the production, while Williams only received $82,000 for her involvement.
Meanwhile, A+E Networks continues to deny any wrongdoing by blaming Wendy Williams’ guardian for the situation. The company previously stated that the legal situation was an “attempt to excuse” Morrissey’s failure to protect Williams.
A+E Networks further claimed that the legal battle is a way for Morrissey to “deflect from her own decision” to allow Willaims to be filmed without “checking in” with the former TV personality.
Wendy Williams has been mostly out of the public eye since her dementia and aphasia diagnosis. She was recently seen out and about with her son Kevin Hunter Jr., on Aug. 19 at a New Jersey wellness store.
Wendy Williams’ Son Previously Claimed Her Dementia Was Brought on By Years of Struggles With Alcoholism
Just after Wendy Williams’ dementia diagnosis was publicly announced, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., claimed alcoholism was the cause of her neurological illness.
In the Where Is Wendy Willaims? documentary, Hunter Jr. spoke about how he did research on the illness shortly after his mother’s diagnosis. “I was able to really learn more about things going on with my mother internally,” he shared. “[Doctors] basically said that because she was drinking so much, it was starting to affect her headspace and her brain. So, I think they said it was alcohol-induced dementia.”
Wendy Williams learned she sustained significant brain damage after checking into rehab in 2019. Williams’ niece, Alex Finnie, also spoke out, noting the TV personality had difficulty remembering memories and facts.
“But after seeing my aunt and really spending time with her in a state where she’s in right now, I quickly realized that things were just not normal,” Finnie explained in the Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary. “It’s heartbreaking.”