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By Laura Fox for Mailonline
12:40 February 2, 2024, updated 13:40 February 2, 2024
Wendy Williams has been spotted for the first time in more than a year as she prepares to open up about her personal struggles in a new Lifetime documentary.
The TV star, 59, appeared in the first trailer for her upcoming special, more than two years after quitting her talk show, citing health issues.
The documentary, which will premiere on Lifetime in the US as a two-night event, will follow Wendy as her health continued to decline.
While the trailer offered a glimpse into the special, it was removed just minutes after being posted on social media.
In the trailer, Wendy broke down in tears as she battled physical and mental illness after her talk show came to an end.
“Since I was six years old, all I wanted was to be famous,” she told the cameras, as images emerged showing the radio host at the peak of her career.
The documentary included a glimpse of Wendy in her heyday as a host, receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
However, it was then cut to show Wendy in the present day, the first time she has been seen publicly in over a year.
It showed Wendy’s son, Kevin Hunter Jr., who told the camera that he “has done a very good job of making it seem like everything is fine, but in reality, something is wrong.”
The footage showed a frail Wendy in the back seat of a car, with the producer asking her, “Have you seen a neurologist?” and she replied: ‘To see if I’m crazy? MMM.’
The clips showed the star struggling to even stand up without assistance, while a male family member said: “She was brought before a judge and assigned a guardian. That’s when they took it away from us.
Speaking directly to the camera, Wendy said: “I don’t have any money.” And let me tell you something, if it happens to me, it can happen to you.’
Another scene in the trailer showed one of Wendy’s loved ones asking her if she drank an entire bottle of vodka “today.”
She then yelled at the man to “leave the bottle there” while she was lying in bed.
Kevin Jnr claimed Wendy still plans to “return to TV”, despite believing his mother has “worked hard enough” on her career.
Wendy’s family also claimed she appeared to be “losing her memory”, after the star admitted she “didn’t know” where she was while driving around New York, where she has lived for years.
In a conversation with her niece Alex Finnie, she told the presenter there were “random people around”, to which Wendy added: “Stealing money from me.”
Wendy has not been seen publicly for over a year, however, in March she was spotted drinking during a rowdy night out in New York, five months after leaving rehab.
He went clubbing in Manhattan, where he visited places like Fresco by Scotto and gay bar The Townhouse, according to a source. Page six: “She kept saying she wanted to get drunk tonight.”
Naughty But Nice podcast host Rob Shuter told the publication that the star “looked lonely” as she sat alone but then “lit up like a Christmas tree to see someone she knew.”
Speaking about their meeting on his podcast, he said: “We had a bite to eat, had a few drinks, but when we were getting ready to say goodbye, Wendy really didn’t want us to leave” before allegedly suggesting they go to a bar. .
One diner also told the publication: ‘She kept saying she wanted to get drunk tonight. She wasn’t hiding (her alcohol consumption from her)’ before claiming that the star said she will be moving to Los Angeles in three weeks.
The source added that Williams said, “She told this table she’s looking for love and, like on Sex and the City, she’s down to fuck.”
Former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Kim DePaola greeted her at the restaurant before the group went to The Townhouse, where Williams is said to have asked the doorman, ‘Do you watch ‘The Wendy Williams Show?’ I’m Wendy Williams.
The star’s presence at the club saw her posing for photographs with fans.
DailyMail.com has contacted Wendy Williams’ representative for comment.
Wendy suffers from a number of medical problems including lymphedema and Graves’ disease, but is reportedly determined to continue her television career.
In October it was revealed that the star was “home and recovering” after returning to rehab to focus on “health and wellness” following a streak of erratic behavior and allegations of substance abuse.
“Wendy is excited about the road ahead and looks forward to launching her many projects,” the former talk show host’s publicist, Shawn Zanotti, said in a statement to E! Tuesday’s news.
Zanotti continued: “She wants to say: ‘thank you to my fans for your love, support and many prayers, I’m back and better than ever.'”
Zanotti confirmed last month that Williams had checked into a “wellness center” in an effort to “manage his overall health issues.”
She was “being treated by a team of some of the best doctors in the world,” Zanotti told the outlet, adding that Williams was preparing “for a huge return to the next level in her career with The Wendy Experience Podcast.”
No details about the facility or its location were revealed.
Williams has been in treatment at locations in New York and Florida.
At the time, a source told Page Six that Williams’ substance problems had “worsened,” as he “went from (drinking) wine to vodka.”
Williams has had difficulty controlling his alcohol consumption, to the detriment of his overall health, which one source described as “failing.”
They added: ‘She can’t stop drinking and needs to stop drinking; she’s just making her health worse.’
The talk show host recently told a photographer that she was “previously retired” amid reports of her return, Page Six reported.
Wendy “is working on several projects,” her rep told the outlet, adding that she “is ready to get things moving and get back to being Wendy Williams.”
The outlet reported that her podcast called The Wendy Williams Experience was still in the works, which Shawn confirmed: “Yes, the podcast is still in the works.”
Wendy is focused “on her overall well-being,” a source previously revealed, and the star is ready to get back to work.
The star told a photographer while grocery shopping that she is “previously retired” and hopes to appear on The View and Late Night with Seth Meyers, via Page Six.
Last week, the outlet reported that Wendy was filming a project inside Scotto’s Manhattan restaurant Fresco.
“It was basically a normal night… and suddenly the Wendy Williams train arrived,” a source said.
“I had a huge crew that basically turned Scotto’s Fresco into a movie set… about 30 people on the crew. Lights, cameras, audio, producers, etc. (It looked like) a reality show.”
The upcoming project will mark Wendy’s first return to media since The Wendy Williams Show concluded last June.
Sherri Shepherd, who filled in for the star last season due to the former host’s medical issues, took over the time slot with her own show, Sherri.
It’s not yet clear when The Wendy Williams Experience will premiere on podcast platforms.
It all comes after Wendy’s son, Kevin Hunter Jr., spoke out about his concerns for his mother, from fearing her surroundings would take advantage of her to her drinking.
Speaking to The Sun, Kevin described how his mother’s alcohol consumption affects his body differently to others. His mother, who suffers from several health problems, can’t process alcohol the same way the average person can, Kevin says.
‘I know that the rate at which she consumes alcohol is not that of a normal person, and we have talked about it. I’ve said, “This is something you don’t normally know how to approach, and that’s okay.”
“And it’s gotten to a point where yes, it could have that effect that could be fatal because it affects her much worse than a normal person because it stays in her system,” he said.
“There are a lot of people who are very aware that there is a problem with their drinking and how that problem can be solved, but I think these people are taking advantage of it and at the same time allowing it to develop so that it appears that they don’t. are causing the problem,” he said.
Kevin also took aim at Wendy’s team, claiming that they had been “taking advantage” of Wendy during a moment of vulnerability.
“What people around her have made most important is that while her health may not be good, she needs to continue earning an income and, in my opinion, that should not be a priority at all,” he said.
“And whoever was hired is taking advantage of someone who needs to improve.”
In her opinion, Wendy’s inner circle has only encouraged her to drink.
“If you don’t give it to him, you’re definitely enabling him with a personality type and giving him the green light to drink,” he said.
Wendy’s documentary comes to Lifetime on February 24 and 25.