Wendy Williams speaks out against guardianship: ‘Like I’m in prison’

Wendy Williams spoke out against her guardianship on “The Breakfast Club” Thursday morning, saying “I feel like I’m in prison.” The former daytime presenter has been under guardianship since 2022 and last year her care team said she had been diagnosed with dementia and aphasia, which affects language and communication skills.

But when he called into “The Breakfast Club,” Williams said this is not true. “Do I look the hell like that?” she asked hosts DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God and Jess Hilarious.

“I’m not cognitively impaired, you know what I’m saying? But I feel like I’m in prison,” she said of the nursing home where she has lived. “I’m in this place where people are in their 90s and 80s and 70s … There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor.”

Williams’ niece, Alex, also called into the show to support her aunt. She said Williams’ apartment at the care center has “a bed, a chair, a TV, a bathroom, and she looks out a window at buildings across the street.” She later added that Williams is able to call her loved ones, but they are unable to call her, and she has no access to the Internet via a laptop or iPad. Williams said she has spent her last three birthdays alone because of the facility’s high security, adding, “This is what is called emotional abuse.”

Williams was also asked about the two-part Lifetime documentary, “Where Is Wendy Williams?”, which aired shortly after the announcement of her diagnosis. Her guardian, Sabrina E. Morrissey, sued to try to prevent its release, citing exploitation. A&E and Lifetime then countered, claiming that Morrissey had realized it would contain criticism of her position as guardian.

“She was the one who wanted to do it, you know what I’m saying?” Williams said of the documentary, adding, “How do I feel about being abused? Look, this system is broken, this system that I’m in. This system has rigged a lot.”

Morrissey did not immediately respond Black‘s request for comment.

Williams’ niece Alex added that if people want to support Williams, they can use the hashtag #FreeWendy and sign the petition on Change.org.

“My aunt sounds good,” Alex said. “I’ve seen her in a very limited capacity, but I’ve seen her and we’re talking to her. This doesn’t match an incapacitated person. And that’s why we’re saying she’s in a luxury prison because she’s being held, and she is being punished for some reason that other people come up with why she should be kept in this position.”

Williams hosted “The Wendy Williams Show” from 2008 to 2021, but stepped down from hosting due to medical issues. The show aired its final episode in June 2022 after several guest hosts filled in for Williams.

“Over the past few years, questions have at times been raised about Wendy’s ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly as she began to lose words, act erratically at times and have difficulty understanding financial transactions,” it reads. press release announcing her diagnosis last year.

“The decision to share this news was difficult and made after careful consideration, not only to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, but to raise awareness of aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of others who face similar circumstances,” the release added. “Unfortunately, many individuals diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia face stigma and misunderstanding, especially when they begin to exhibit behavioral changes but have not yet received a diagnosis.”