Wendy Williams is voicing fresh grievances about her inadequate medical attention. The 60-year-old former talk show maven offers a poignant glimpse into how her life has undergone a transformation under guardianship in a newly released TubiTV documentary titled "TMZ Presents: Saving Wendy Williams," which premiered on February 12th. In an insightful conversation with Harvey Levin, the outlet's founder, Williams reflects on her dementia diagnosis in 2023, lamenting that she can scarcely recall the last occasion she was examined by a healthcare professional.
"When was the last time you saw a doctor?" Levin inquires. "A very long time ago," responds Williams, who was appointed a guardian in 2022. She insists that she cannot even hazard a guess at a rough timeline due to the extended period that has elapsed. "I spent a year in Connecticut without consulting anyone. Now, I've been here [in the assisted living facility] for six or seven months, and still, no one has seen me," she divulges.
In legal documents, Williams' guardian asserts that she "suffers from cognitive impairment and permanent incapacitation." Conversely, Williams tells Levin that she feels "remarkable" and "not incapacitated in any way."
Given her struggles with substance abuse and recent sobriety, Leah Croll, a New York-based neurologist, suggests that Williams' alcoholism might have contributed to her experiencing aphasia—a condition marked by brain damage that impairs an individual's comprehension and communication abilities. "Differentiating alcohol-induced brain damage from dementia is indeed an exceedingly complex task," she remarks, highlighting the overlap as alcohol is particularly harmful to the prefrontal lobes of the brain, which are also affected in frontotemporal dementia.
Levin ponders whether the likelihood of a misdiagnosis warrants a fresh examination now that Williams has achieved sobriety and her symptoms seem to have vanished in recent interviews. "Absolutely," Croll concurs, elucidating, "This could prompt her neurologist and team to reassess her condition and reevaluate her cognitive abilities at this juncture."
On February 5th, Williams' guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, submitted court papers requesting a "novel medical evaluation" after the TV personality refuted claims of her incapacitation during an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" earlier that day. "I do not have frontotemporal dementia...it's revolting," Williams declared on the radio show. "It's a rare condition for anyone." She later added, "I am not incapacitated. I am not helpless."
Morrissey's request also addresses Williams' statements expressing her reluctance to initiate legal action against A&E Television Networks. In February 2024, Morrissey sued A&E for the "Where Is Wendy Williams?" docuseries, alleging that the network's documentary "shamelessly exploits Williams and portrays her in an incredibly demeaning and undignified manner."
"In these statements, Williams has indicated that, in her view, she is free from dementia and incapacitation," the filing states. "We are penning this letter today because, during a radio interview this morning, Williams discussed the A&E matter extensively and seemed to suggest her disinterest in pursuing the case."
Morrissey further claims that she filed the lawsuit against A&E to "recover substantial monetary damages for Williams' benefit, which could cater to her significant healthcare needs moving forward." Citing Williams' previous "official diagnosis," Morrissey urges a "new medical evaluation encompassing thorough neurological and psychological assessments by a specialist in the field" in the wake of her public denial of the medical condition.
"The question of whether Williams possesses the capacity to discern what serves her best deserves renewed and meticulous consideration by qualified experts, rather than being left to careless speculation in tabloids, radio, or online," the filing emphasizes. Morrissey concludes by stating that she has "no intention" of pursuing further litigation if "in the highly improbable event that the new medical examination reveals that Williams somehow now possesses the mental capacity to direct" the lawsuit against A&E.
