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- Wendy Williams’ son Kevin Hunter Jr., 23, revealed for the first time that his mother is dealing with alcohol-induced dementia and doctors told him personally.
- His care team stated that the dementia diagnosis occurred in 2023 and that the news was made public last week, just before the documentary aired.
- The film had been set to chronicle Williams’ return in 2022, but had to stop filming in April 2023 due to him entering a center for cognitive problems.
Wendy Williams’ son confirmed that his mother suffers from alcohol-induced dementia for the first time during Sunday night’s Lifetime documentary ‘Where’s Wendy Williams?’
Kevin Hunter Jr., 23, revealed that doctors told him that alcohol had begun to affect “his mental space and his brain.”
‘I was able to really learn more about the things that happen internally with my mother. They basically said that because she drank so much, it was starting to affect his mental space and her brain. “So I think they said it was alcohol-induced dementia.”
The doctors’ diagnosis goes some way to explaining Williams’ often unsociable and erratic behavior which, in the intrusive new documentary, shows her belching, sleeping all day in bed with bottles of alcohol at her side and lashing out at the slightest transgressions. .
Williams was first told of his alcohol-related brain damage diagnosis years earlier in 2019 during his stay at a rehab center in Delray Beach, although his care team said his dementia diagnosis only occurred in 2023. .
Williams’ niece, Alex Finnie, also revealed that she was informed of her aunt’s diagnosis in the fall of 2022.
‘All I know is that it was dementia. You look back at the little things, and it’s slow progress. It’s little things like, “When is your birthday?” Know? ‘What’s it called?’ -But after seeing my aunt and spending time with her in the state she is in now, I quickly realized that things just weren’t normal. It’s heartbreaking.
“When it comes to my aunt’s dementia, there are three things that didn’t help her: the divorce, the pandemic, and then losing my grandmother,” Alex explains.
In one of the most shocking incidents in the documentary, which details her struggles with alcohol abuse and mental health in recent years, Williams may be having dinner with her publicist Shawn Zanotti.
Eating at a restaurant overlooking Los Angeles, Williams could be seen consuming several glasses of vodka with his lunch, before openly burping loudly on camera.
After their lunch, Williams and Zanotti head to Universal Studios in Los Angeles to host a new talk show as part of the star’s “recovery.”
NBC Universal declined to comment on its meeting with producers.
Williams seemingly loses all track of where she is, as she can be heard emphasizing that she doesn’t want the show to film “here in Miami,” despite being in Los Angeles.
When asked by producers if there was any concern about the amount of alcohol she consumed, Zanotti responds, “Wendy knows her limits.”
Other family members would disagree, including his son and nephew Travis Finnie, who openly state that Williams “has a drinking problem.”
The devastating diagnosis was made public at the end of last week, days before the four-and-a-half-hour documentary was broadcast.
“As Wendy’s fans know, she has been open with the public in the past about her medical struggles with Graves’ disease and lymphedema, as well as other significant challenges related to her health,” her team said in a statement.
‘The decision to share this news was a difficult one and was made after careful consideration, not only to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, but also to raise awareness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of people who face similar circumstances.
“Receiving a diagnosis has allowed Wendy to receive the medical care she needs.”
Frontotemporal dementia is a rare disease that affects parts of the brain that control behavior and language. These parts of the brain shrink as the disease worsens.
The disease often includes primary progressive aphasia, meaning it causes problems with language skills. A person with this type of FTD may have trouble finding words or understanding speech.
Williams’ eponymous daytime talk show ended in 2022 due to his health issues. Sherri Shepherd, who replaced Williams as guest host, received her own show from her.
Williams said in 2018 that years earlier she had been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, which leads to the overproduction of thyroid hormones and can cause a wide range of symptoms that can affect overall health.
During Sunday night’s documentary, family members revealed that they don’t know where she is and can’t call her themselves, but she can call them if she wants.
“I don’t know the exact location of where she is, but I know she’s in an environment that is helping her heal emotionally, psychologically and physically,” Wanda said when asked by producers. ‘That’s what I hope happens when she gets home.
“Wendy is in a more positive and stronger place than she was a year ago,” Wanda explains. ‘It’s almost like she’s talking to Wendy from years ago. Really is.’
“It’s been a long journey in terms of experience for our family and for Wendy,” Wanda Williams, Wendy’s sister, says in the documentary.
“I hope to come out of this by letting people see the love we have as a family for each other, as well as the love we have for Wendy, and understand the journey we’ve been on that hasn’t always been perfect. Everyone wanted the same thing, which is to see Wendy healthy and happy.”
Wanda could be seen assisting family members in their attempt to recover the property from Williams’ care from her court-appointed guardian.
‘When the whole process started, everyone in this family was contacted about Wendy and what we needed for her. “My feeling as a sister was that Wendy needed to have someone with her 24 hours a day for the next few months,” Wanda detailed.
“They told me it involved taking some kind of class and I said, ‘Yes, I’ll do it.’ I said, ‘Whatever I have to do, I’ll focus on Wendy’s health.’ And then, all of a sudden, the wall went down.” collapsed and nothing was left.’
Family members share their concerns about who has access to Williams and the possible intentions of those around her.
‘I still see glimpses of my mother very often. She still has the opportunity to live a good, healthy life, but she needs to want to live it. “I think she’s just weak and vulnerable and she needs to be around people who aren’t going to take advantage of that,” Kevin Jr. said.
‘I think my mother should have a family around her. I’ve talked to her a lot about her stay in Florida and how much it would benefit her if she can’t get hurt.’
I think deep down he knows he could still drink up there and do things he shouldn’t. I feel like my mom should never be alone or alone.
Even before Williams was placed under court-ordered conservatorship, her rights and those of her family began to be stripped away.
“My power was taken away when the court proceedings began,” Kevin explained. “And then they tried to say that as the court case was going on, if we wanted to bring her to Florida, it would be considered kidnapping.”
The documentary team set out in 2022 to chronicle Williams’ comeback, but were forced to stop filming in April 2023 when his manager ‘and jeweler’ Will Selby explained how he had to enter a center to treat ‘cognitive issues.’ ‘.
His son, Kevin, says in the documentary that doctors had linked his cognitive problems directly to his excessive alcohol consumption.
In May 2022, the New York State court system appointed an independent guardian to manage Williams’ finances.
The conservatorship began when Williams’ bank, Wells Fargo, froze her accounts after her financial advisor at the time allegedly expressed concern that she was “of sound mind,” according to Williams’ subsequent court papers.
Wells Fargo then asked a New York court to place the talk show host under conservatorship, which a judge later approved in January 2022.
At the time, the bank claimed it feared Williams’ “cognitive problems” put her at risk of being financially exploited.
Her son, Kevin, was accused of charging $100,000 to his American Express card, but he defended himself and clarified in the documentary that he had never spent a cent without his mother’s consent.
—Do you think your mother should have a guardian? The show’s producer asks Hunter Jr.
‘I think my mother should have a family. The family version of the story has not been told, so there is a gray area left over who is really telling the truth or what is really going on. I have always wanted the best for my mom. You know, I just stay strong,” Hunter Jr. said.