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Wendy Williams in 2019
Lars Niki/Getty Images for New York Women of Film and Television
Wendy Williams is speaking out for the first time following her recent diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
A rep for the former talk show host shared a statement from Williams with The Hollywood Reporter Friday: “I want to say that I have immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis of aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming. The messages shared with me have moved me and reminded me of the power of unity and the need for compassion.”
The statement continued: “I hope other people with FTD can benefit from my story. I also want to thank the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration for their kind words of support and their extraordinary efforts to raise awareness about FTD. I still need personal space and peace to thrive. Please know that we deeply appreciate your positivity and encouragement.”
The statement from Ridge Hill Group’s Jennifer Hanley comes on the heels of Williams’ care team sharing the news Thursday that she was officially diagnosed after undergoing medical testing last year.
Her team said in a statement that aphasia, a condition that affects a person’s speech, and frontotemporal dementia, a disorder that affects behavior and cognitive functions, “have already presented significant obstacles in Wendy’s life.”
The Lifetime docuseries airing this weekend, Where is Wendy Williams?, will chronicle the physical and mental deterioration of the former television presenter. The two-night docuseries began filming Williams following the June 2022 cancellation of her hit daytime talk show, and stopped filming Williams when she checked into an unknown facility in April 2023 and was placed in the care of a court-appointed financial guardian, who had been unknown publicly and to Williams’ family who appears in the documentary. Williams remains a credited executive producer on the project, as she has a three-picture deal with Lifetime.
Two days before the documentary’s release, Williams’ court-appointed caregiver was publicly identified as Sabrina Morrissey when she filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking injunctive relief against Lifetime’s parent company, A+E Networks.
On Friday, the complaint was overturned and a Lifetime representative confirmed THR that Where is Wendy Williams? “It will air this weekend as planned.”
Morrissey was appointed Williams’ caretaker when, following the cancellation of The Wendy Williams Show, the television personality’s then-financial advisor alleged in late 2022 in a New York court that she was “in poor mental condition,” prompting Wells Fargo bank to request that Williams be placed under temporary financial conservatorship. Williams remains today in a facility under Morrissey’s care and no one but Morissey can still locate him.
Jackie Strause contributed to this report.