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“It was a labor of love for us to tell Wendy’s story with dignity and responsibility,” Hanson said.
Even now, with the knowledge of her diagnosis, producers said in an interview Tuesday with The Washington Post that they stand by their decision to air Williams’ awkward moments, hoping it will spark conversations about conservatorships.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: How have viewers and Williams’ family received the documentary?
Ford: The response has been overwhelming, with an incredible amount of polarizing opinions. We always knew it would be like this. But we think you’re raising an incredibly important issue: what can happen to someone when they’re placed in guardianship outside of their family.
We spoke with the family before the documentary and after it aired. And of course, they are overwhelmed by the amount of support and comments. But they supported and continue to support the issue a lot.
Hanson: We know there are moments that are difficult to watch. It can be painful and sad, and that’s how filming was too. But being able to shed light on the reality of Wendy’s life during that period of time under guardianship was very important to us. And it’s been really interesting to see that viewers have the same kind of reaction of empathy and understanding.
Q: How did you connect with Wendy and what were you trying to achieve with the documentary?
Ford: Initially it was the continuation of the documentary we made with her, “Wendy Williams: What a Mess!” She only intended to pick up the story where she left off and follow Wendy (as she) picks up her career and gets back into the public eye through a podcast.
Over the months of filming, it became clear that I wouldn’t be in a position to release a podcast. The story was revealing itself to be something more. We had no choice but to continue moving towards this truth.
In the film, you can see the filmmakers wrestling with many (unanswered) questions and concerns. We wanted to understand why Wendy was alone in this New York apartment, more or less of her own free will, without much care, without much food in the refrigerator and without access to alcohol. Why was this happening and why wasn’t the family part of this?
As we began filming, the family’s point of view took center stage.
Hanson: I was drawn to this story originally (because) Wendy is an icon and an extraordinary figure in pop culture (who is) so forthright in her thoughts and opinions.
When we started filming, we worried a lot about her and her relationship with alcohol. It is a two-story apartment. You have lymphedema. We were all terrified that she would fall down the stairs. And many of us in our lives have been affected by addiction.
We didn’t know at all about the dementia diagnosis. It wasn’t really until the end of filming that we found out when the family shared that with us. It was a labor of love for us to tell Wendy’s story with dignity and responsibility. Sometimes, it was a challenge (like) when we were going to film her smoking vapes. That was a very good example of “How and when did we stop filming?” What is best for her? But how can we shed light on this terrifying reality of what her world was like?
Q: What surprised you the most during filming?
Ford: The most shocking part of the filming is that everything you see in this documentary occurred while Wendy was required to be under the care of a court-appointed guardian who has been entrusted with her finances and health.
This could be the level of care that any of our family members could receive if they were under the care of a guardian, and this is the world famous Wendy Williams. There are many other families who do not have a platform to tell their stories. None of us went into this movie thinking it would cover a conservatorship. But we cannot avoid that truth.
Hanson: The truth is sometimes not comfortable. And to show someone’s fragility, the truth was harsh in this situation.
Q: How involved was Wendy in the production of the documentary? Did you have any qualms about showing her in such a vulnerable state?
Hanson: Every day we talked to Wendy about what we were doing. She was aware of everything we were filming and she had opinions on whether she wanted to do it or not. She would let us know if she was done for the day. We wanted to achieve a balance. It was important to show things that are sometimes hard to see to really show what she was dealing with. After learning the diagnosis, we stopped filming shortly after. So it was a day-by-day decision how to navigate her world.
Ford: Once we learned the diagnosis, the story shifted to the families’ point of view regarding guardianship and the level of care Wendy was receiving. That’s really the only additional filming we did.
Wendy was an EP about that. She had opinions. At the beginning of the documentary, Erica asked him: “Are there things you don’t feel comfortable with? Is there a limit here that we should not cross? Wendy said, “No, ask me anything.” That’s very true to the Wendy we all know and love.