2020 has not been a good year for Wendy Williams. In the short time since the new year has started, Williams has come under fire three times for controversial things she said on her talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. First she made fun of Joker star Joaquin Phoenix’s cleft palate scar, then she said gay men shouldn’t wear “women’s clothes,” and the one she has yet to apologize for, a gruesome joke about Price Is Right host Drew Carey’s ex-fiance’s murder.
Wendy William’s Shock Jock Past On Full Display
Williams is no stranger to controversy. She got her start as a radio “shock jockette,” with all the trappings that came with it. Williams’ forte was outrageous, politically incorrect opinions, often at the expense of the celebrities she covered. When she first joined the daytime talk show circuit, it seemed like Williams had toned down her old “shock jock” tendencies. Those old habits are making a comeback in 2020, and audiences aren’t as charmed as they once were by them.
First came Williams’ comments about Phoenix’s facial scar. On her show, she pulled at her lip, obviously mocking the actor. This mean affectation didn’t go unnoticed and many called on the talk show host to apologize, including Cher, who tweeted images of herself visiting children with cleft palates. There’s even a petition to have Williams fired for her comment. Williams later apologized on Twitter and announced that the show would donate to two charities that helped those afflicted with the condition.
On Galentine’s Day, the unofficial holiday the day before Valentine’s Day in which women celebrate their friendships, Williams incited more outrage. She went on a tangent about why men shouldn’t celebrate the informal holiday before zeroing in on gay men specifically. “And stop wearing our skirts and our heels,” she demanded. “Just sayin’ girls, what do we have for ourselves?” Though the audience applauded, the backlash online was swift and severe and once again, Williams issued an apology through social media.
Still No Apology For Williams’ Distasteful Joke
One incident Williams has yet to apologize for are her comments that directly followed the news about Amie Harwick’s tragic murder. Harwick was pushed from a third-story balcony by her ex-boyfriend. “Come on down!” Williams smirked at the audience, in a clear reference to not only the gruesome way Harwick was killed, but a ghoulish reference to Harwick’s grieving ex-fiance, Drew Carey.
Though Williams involves herself in enough drama all on her own, tabloids still insist on coming up with new and inventive stories to tell about her, all false, of course. In 2019, the blog Naughty Gossip claimed Williams was afraid Nick Cannon was trying to steal her talk show. Gossip Cop checked in with a source close to Cannon, who assured us this story couldn’t be further from the truth. When someone courts scandal as much as Williams, it’s pointless to make up stories.