Former daytime TV host Wendy Williams, who was diagnosed with dementia and placed under conservatorship, insisted in an interview Thursday that she is not cognitively impaired and is concerned about the limitations she faces living in a nursing home. complained about.
Williams last filmed the popular talk show in the summer of 2021, and a year later, a court appointed a legal guardian to oversee her personal and financial affairs, according to court documents. Williams “suffers from dementia, which has resulted in her being cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incompetent,” lawyers for her conservator said in court documents.
But Williams' family has previously questioned the conservatorship and did not make that distinction about his health in a telephone interview with “The Breakfast Club” on Thursday.
“I'm not cognitively impaired,” she said on the show. “But I feel like I’m in prison.”
Williams was at times cheerful and at times emotional as she complained about living in a nursing home and discussed the possibility that she might not be able to travel to see her father as he celebrates his 94th birthday. There was also.
She, who did not give her name, complained about the nursing home, which houses patients up to 90 years old. “There's something wrong with the people on this floor,” she said. “And I'm not saying anything bad. I'm just saying I'm with these guys.”
“Look, I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner here in bed,” she said. “I watch TV, listen to the radio, look out the window, talk on the phone.” She said she didn't have access to a laptop or iPad, suggesting her phone had limited functionality.
Williams' niece, Alex Finney, also appeared on the show by phone and described the facility as a “luxury prison.”
“I’m not asking for a lot,” Finney said. “All I'm saying is that I want women to be treated with dignity and given the freedom that they deserve.”
Her family said they “desire for her release.”
Williams said she spent much of her time in isolation at the facility, including her past three birthdays. “I’d rather spend my birthday alone than open the door and spend it with all the people on this floor,” she said.
Questions about Williams' health have been growing in recent years amid reports of unusual behavior and videos circulating on social media. Wells Fargo, which had been involved in her finances, began conservatorship proceedings in 2022, and the court appointed an independent guardian to oversee her affairs.
Wells Fargo had “documented a pattern of unusual and disturbing events” related to Williams' welfare and finances, according to court documents filed by the conservator ultimately appointed. The details of the powers granted to conservator Sabrina E. Morrissey are unclear because the court has sealed many related court filings.
Morrissey wrote in open court documents that Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia in 2023.
Concerns about Williams' health and well-being resurfaced last year when Lifetime aired a two-part documentary, “Where's Wendy Williams?” that gave fans a glimpse into her life since leaving the show. did. Her guardian, Ms. Morrissey, whose identity was hidden throughout the documentary, unsuccessfully tried to prevent the network from airing it. Morrissey is currently in a civil lawsuit over the documentary with A&E Television Networks, which owns the Lifetime show.
Morrissey could not be reached for comment Thursday regarding Williams' complaint.
Attorney Roberta Kaplan, who is representing Ms. Morrissey in the A&E case, said in a statement that Ms. Williams suffers from a “degenerative brain disease for which there is no cure,” and the state court ruled that she was legally incompetent and incapacitated. He said he determined that there was no such thing. Make your own legal and financial decisions.
“Unfortunately, because of Wendy's diagnosis, her condition will only worsen over time and she will require care for the rest of her life,” Kaplan said. “But as anyone who has a family member with dementia knows, Wendy has good days and bad days. As alleged in our complaint, this It's really unfortunate that there's so much voyeuristic attention to this right now, because it just leads to the same kind of exploitation.”
In an interview, Williams was reluctant to provide details about the ongoing lawsuit, but lamented that he only had $15 in cash and that his personal belongings were in storage. “I'm definitely isolated,” she said.
