Beloved former talk show host and iconic radio personality Wendy Williams has been on people’s hearts and minds as of late. With the abrupt end to her talk show, which ran from 2008 to 2022, and troubling news surrounding her mental health, many held hope for Williams to be okay. As news surfaced of her feeling wrongfully forced into a conservatorship, much debate has surrounded the ethics of this service.
With her own niece Alex Finnie claiming that she’s being mishandled and pioneering the #FreeWendy movement, the public has demanded truth about what’s really going on. Here’s everything to know.
Where Is Wendy Williams?
Following her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in early 2024, Williams has been residing in an assisted living facility in New York City. According to an interview with “TMZ,” she’s forced to abide by strict guidelines that have made her life nearly unlivable. The 60-year-old is under constant vigilance and hasn’t seen much of life outside of her building. She notes that the elevators in the facility are locked and visitors are restricted.
“I feel like I am in prison,” Williams said on “The Breakfast Club” in January. “I’m in this place with people who are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor. I am clearly not.”
Williams has publicly admitted to struggling with substance abuse, and worried many when she fainted during a live taping of The Wendy Williams Show in October 2017. Later, in March 2019, Williams shared that she had been living in a sober house “for some time.” The truth about all that Williams has truly endured remains a mystery. This is despite efforts from hopeful projects, like Lifetime’s “Where Is Wendy Williams?” documentary.
Recently, things have taken an abrupt turn. After slipping a note out her window reading “HELP” with her named signed on the bottom on March 10th, Williams may finally be getting the relocation she’s long wanted. The New York Police Department confirmed that Williams was transported to the hospital after they conducted a wellness check.
Who Is Wendy Williams’ Conservator?
In early 2022, Wells Fargo froze Williams’ accounts, citing concerns about her mental health and potential financial exploitation. Subsequently, a New York court appointed a legal guardian, or conservator, to oversee her finances and health decisions.
A conservatorship is a legal arrangement where a court appoints a person (the conservator) to manage the financial and personal affairs of someone unable to do so themselves due to physical or mental limitations. The conservator’s responsibility is to make decisions on behalf of the individual under conservatorship (called the conservatee).
Williams is fighting the conservatorship and wants to see it end. She claims she is capable of managing her affairs on her own. But though she is actively trying to regain control over her finances and public image, her court-appointed guardian Sabrina Morrissey claims she is “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled and legally incapacitated.” Williams negates this, describing her guardianship as a “prison” and “emotional abuse.”
Other Celebrity Conservatorships
Williams is not the first celebrity to legally battle their conservatorship. Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes are two other women who, amid their mental health struggles, lost access to controlling their finances and ultimately, their lives. Fans rallied behind each of these women, with the #FreeBritney movement bringing the truth about conservatorships to public light. While Spears and Bynes were both ultimately granted legal permission to be autonomous once more, it’s unclear whether or not Williams will achieve the same outcome.
The situation continues to evolve, with ongoing debates about Williams’ health and autonomy. Supporters remain hopeful for a resolution that respects her well-being and rights.