Wendy Williams began the season 12 finale of her Wendy Williams Show on July 23, 2021, just as she had so many times before, by asking the audience her signature "How you doin'?" But as she continued, it became clear that something was off: She slightly slurred her words and had moments of confusion. Still, she ended with a promise to viewers they'd see her on TV again in just "two months and two weeks."
That day would never come. Over the past two and a half years, Williams's life spiraled into the exact kind of drama she once would have gossiped about during her Hot Topics segment. As rumors swirled about her well-being was placed under a financial guardianship in 2022 over concerns about her capacity to make decisions-the larger-than-life personality remained mostly quiet. Now her family is speaking out for the first time about what went down during this dark period to People and in a new Lifetime documentary, Where Is Wendy Williams?, premiering Feb. 24 and which she executive-produced.
"There were points where everyone in this family wondered whether that call [that she was dead] was going to come in the middle of the night," says Williams's sister Wanda Finnie.
Adds Wanda's daughter Alex: "It was shocking and heartbreaking to see her in this state." When the documentary crew began filming in August 2022, it set out to follow Williams's comeback as she prepared to launch a new podcast. The film quickly evolved into something entirely different, as the crew captured Williams in the throes of alcohol addiction and struggles with health issues including Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder that can cause bulging eyes, and lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling in her feet. A particularly gut-wrenching scene shows Williams-who turns 60 in July-asking her driver to take her past the former Wendy Williams Show studio, forgetting that he had done so only moments earlier.
This story is from the March 04, 2024 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 04, 2024 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
DRAWING STRENGTH TOGETHER
WHEN HE SAW HIS TEEN DAUGHTER STRUGGLING, COMIC BOOK AUTHOR ETHAN SACKS CREATED A HERO TO GIVE HER HOPE. THEN THEY JOINED FORCES TO FINISH THE STORY
Her Love Affair With Words
THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MORE THAN 210 BOOKS REFLECTS ON HER CAREER, THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK AND WHY SHE'LL NEVER DITCH HER TRUSTED TYPEWRITER FOR A COMPUTER
WHAT I KNOW NOW
THE X-FILES ACTOR AND PODCAST HOST REFLECTS ON PARENTING, SUCCESS AND THE SILVER LINING OF EVERY FAILURE
'I DON'T THINK ABOUT AGE'
THE MATRIX ACTRESS REFLECT ON HER QUIET LIFE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, PARENTING AND STEPPING INTO THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE
'I Didn't Just Survive I Thrived'
Rare flesh-eating bacteria took Aimee Copeland's limbs in 2012. But she persevered
TONY HALE FACING HIS FEARS
THE EMMY-WINNING ACTOR IS ON AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER WITH HIS NEW FILM INSIDE OUT 2 AND AS A DAD WATCHING HIS DAUGHTER GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL
'I Take Bold Risks!'
THE OSCAR-WINNING ACTRESS GETS READY TO HOST THE TONY AWARDS FOR THE THIRD TIME AND OPENS UP ABOUT FAME, HAVING FUN AND FINDING HER FOOTING
You Oughta Know...
The actress-musician, 35, wrote the hit Broadway musical Suffs, about women's fight to vote. It's nominated for six Tonys
Donald Trump Found Guilty of 34 Felonies
On May 30 a New York jury delivered a historic verdict in the first criminal case against a former Commander in Chief
Padma Lakshmi Feels 'More Confident Now' Than in Her 20s
“If you had told me I would be modeling lingerie at 35, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Padma Lakshmi says with a laugh.