Wendy Williams' producer says docuseries wouldn't have been filmed if he knew about dementia diagnosis
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mike Ford, the producer of the upcoming Lifetime docuseries 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' has acknowledged that if they had known about Wendy Williams' diagnosis of dementia, the film would never have moved forward, OK! Magazine reports.
In an interview, Ford revealed that the project's initial goal was to document Williams' comeback as a podcast host. But while the docu was being filmed, he realized that the plot was changing and taking a whole new turn.
Wendy Williams docu producer reveals shocking oversight over dementia diagnosis
"At the beginning of production, we just wanted to sit with Wendy and see how she was doing," Ford explained. "But as we filmed, it became evident that this wasn’t really going to be a career comeback story, that this was going to be a deeper story, and that there was something ultimately disturbing going on in Wendy’s life."
Ford recounted being informed about Williams' "bad day" involving alcohol and her subsequent admission to a treatment facility. Despite these challenges, they were assured that it wouldn't hinder the documentary's progress.
However, the revelation of Williams' dementia diagnosis later in the filming process caught the producers off guard, significantly altering the trajectory of the project. Ford expressed shock over this development, stating that had they known about the diagnosis beforehand, they would not have proceeded with filming.
"We tried to be as transparent as possible, and the making of the film is as much a story in some ways as Wendy’s story itself," Ford elaborated. "And that’s why we intentionally left a lot of the questions in — we wanted people to understand the journey of the filmmakers and how upsetting it was for all of us in certain instances and also how outrageous in some ways the situations were."
"Like, Wendy would be left alone without food, completely on her own in that apartment with stairs that she could easily fall down," he said. "There was no one there 24/7. So, these are just all the questions we had throughout. But, of course, if we had known that Wendy had dementia going into it, no one would’ve rolled a camera."
DJ Boof's disturbing encounter with Wendy Williams in lifetime docu
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In the gripping second half of the Lifetime documentary 'Where is Wendy Williams?', viewers were given a raw and revealing glimpse into the tumultuous struggles faced by the renowned talk show host, particularly concerning her battle with alcoholism.
One of the most poignant revelations came from DJ Boof, a former collaborator on 'The Wendy Williams Show', who served as both a confidant and a witness to Williams' descent into the grips of alcohol addiction following her divorce from Kevin Hunter Sr.
DJ Boof was in an unusually close relationship with Williams during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, helping her produce episodes from her New York City residence. But what he saw paints a concerning picture of Williams' declining physical and mental state.
DJ Boof recounted instances where Williams displayed a concerning lack of emotional response, indicating the profound impact of alcohol abuse on her well-being. He emphasized that the effects were not merely a result of the pandemic but rather a consequence of prolonged alcohol use, revealing, "This is not COVID doing this. [It's the] damage of using alcohol for so long … I got to see the lowest of lows.”
The most shocking revelation may have been DJ Boof's account of finding Williams unconscious in her NYC flat in May 2020 and having to act quickly to get medical assistance. DJ Boof's memory of the terrifying event highlights how serious Wendy's problems were and how quickly she needed help.
In a poignant moment from the documentary, Williams herself admitted to her affinity for vodka, a stark acknowledgment of her fraught relationship with alcohol. Her sister Wanda Finnie and son Kevin Hunter Jr's testimonies, together with her honest confession, serve as a moving reminder of the toll her addiction took on her relationships and general well-being.
As 'Where is Wendy Williams?' continues to unfold, audiences are confronted with the sobering reality of addiction and its profound impact on one of television's most iconic figures. Through DJ Boof's candid account and Williams' admissions, the documentary sheds light on the complexities of addiction and the importance of seeking help in the face of adversity.
