Wendy Williams has announced that she will not be returning to daytime television due to ongoing health issues, and it seems like the hits just keep on coming. Her ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, is suing the show for wrongful termination.
Williams’ Ex Is Claiming He Was ‘Unlawfully Terminated’
The civil lawsuit, filed in New York City earlier this week, claims that Hunter was wrongfully fired “on the basis of his marital status” to the talk show star. “Hunter was one of the reasons behind the Wendy William Show’s tremendous success and everything seemed to go south after he left,” Hunter’s attorney, Abe George, told Page Six.
“Mr. Hunter was unlawfully terminated solely due to his marital status to Wendy, which is contrary to human rights laws in NYC,” he continued. Hunter served as an executive producer on the Wendy William Show until April 2019, when he was fired just a week after Williams filed for divorce. The reason for the split? Hunter’s then-girlfriend Sharina Hudson had become pregnant.
Hunter had been an executive producer for the show since the show began in 2007, and his suit claims he was involved in the branding of the show and had a hand in creating popular show segments like “Hot Seat,” “Shoe Cam,” and “Hot Topics.”
“This lawsuit seeks to compensate Mr. Hunter for the sweat equity that he put into the show and that Debmar-Mercury will continue to profit on even in their new reincarnation of the Wendy Williams Show,” George added. This “new reincarnation” is referring to Sherri Shepherd, who is set to take over Williams’ old time slot.
The lawsuit was filed against the show’s production company, Debmar-Mercury, with founders Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus named as defendants. Hunter, who is now residing in Florida with fiancee Hudson, wants at least $7 million, in addition to punitive damages, lost wages, and legal fees.
Williams’ Ongoing Financial And Health Struggles
This isn’t the only lawsuit Williams is embroiled in. Her bank, Wells Fargo, recently requested a hearing to investigate whether the talk show host needs a “guardianship” to intervene in her personal affairs. According to Williams’ attorney, Wells Fargo has denied Williams access to her accounts and assets.
All these court battles come amid the news that Williams is completely retreating from public life due to health struggles, including Graves’ disease and a breakthrough COVID case. Fans of the show are sorry to hear that she will not be returning to the show, but are glad she’s putting her health first.
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