Wendy Williams says she has ‘no idea’ what the 7 pills she takes daily in treatment facility do
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Wendy Williams, the iconic former television host, has spoken out about her life inside a treatment facility.
In her first interview since the premiere of 'Where Is Wendy Williams?', a bombshell Lifetime documentary that aired in February 2024, the 60-year-old opened up about the struggles she’s faced following her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Wendy Williams reveals she takes 7 pills daily in medical facility
As reported by People, speaking to DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and guest host Loren LoRosa on 'The Breakfast Club' on Thursday, January 16, Williams offered an unfiltered glimpse into her current life, revealing the complexities and challenges of living under court-ordered guardianship and the medical system she feels trapped within.
Calling in from a luxury care facility where she receives 24/7 medical care, Williams didn’t hold back.
She described the tightly controlled environment and expressed frustration over the medication she was being forced to take.
“Where I am, okay, you have to get keys to unlock the door to press the elevator to go downstairs. Second of all, these people here, everybody is like a nursemaid so to speak. They come in and give your pills and then you leave,” Williams said.
The former host, who became a household name with 'The Wendy Williams Show', also shared bewilderment over her treatment plan.
“I’ve had two pills my whole life. There are seven pills, I have no idea what this pill is doing. I haven’t been to a pill person in a matter of a long time. To the point where, ‘Excuse me doctor, can you tell me what this pill is for?’" she further said.
Reflecting on the past few years, Williams added, “For the last three years, I have been caught up in the system. This has been three years. I’ve been caught up in this system.”
Wendy Williams’ family voices concern over her wellbeing
Wendy Williams’ legal troubles began in 2022 when Wells Fargo froze her accounts after her financial adviser alleged that she was of “unsound mind".
A New York court subsequently placed her under guardianship, naming attorney Sabrina Morrissey as her legal guardian.
The guardianship has drawn sharp criticism from Williams’ family, who claim they’ve been cut off from her life since the arrangement began.
Her sister, Wanda Finnie, previously told People that contact with Wendy had been severed, a sentiment echoed during the interview by her niece, Alex Finnie.
“This is the reality. This has been our lives. But specifically her life,” Finnie said during the call.
Finnie added, “She can call us but we can’t call her. That’s been the reality since 2023. That room she is sitting in, she’s there every day, all hours of the day, every week, every month. She’s not getting proper sunlight."
"I went to New York in October to visit her, and the level of security and the level of questions that there were in terms of who am I, why am I here, what’s the purpose, it was absolutely just horrible," she expressed.
Wendy Williams’ attorney condemns 'exploitative' documentary
Wendy Williams’ care team announced her dementia diagnosis just two days before the Lifetime documentary 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' premiered.
The diagnosis has been central to her ongoing legal battles. Attorney Roberta Kaplan, who represents Williams in a lawsuit against A&E, Lifetime, and the producers of the documentary, stated in a court filing:
“Wendy Williams suffers from frontal lobe dementia, a degenerative brain disease that has no cure. As a result, a state court found her to be legally incapacitated, meaning that she is not capable of making legal and financial decisions on her own. Unfortunately, because of her diagnosis, Wendy’s condition will only get worse with time and she will require care for the rest of her life.”
Wendy Williams returns in the first trailer for 'Where Is Wendy Williams documentary'.
— Curious Cloud (@Ekomism1) February 2, 2024
Out February 24th & 25th on Lifetime. pic.twitter.com/9Ssc4ZLewU
Kaplan also condemned the documentary, calling it exploitative.
“It is truly a shame that there is so much voyeuristic attention to this right now, since it only leads to the same kinds of exploitation that we saw in the so-called documentary, as alleged in our complaint.”
Despite the uphill battle, Williams is determined to make her voice heard.
During 'The Breakfast Club' interview, she criticized the systems governing her life, calling them deeply flawed.
“Listen, this system is broken, this system that I’m in. This system has falsified a lot,” she said.