Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
Wendy Williams’ health has significantly worsened, according to her legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey.
In a court filing submitted on Nov. 12, Morrissey stated that the 60-year-old talk show host had become “cognitively impaired” and “permanently incapacitated” due to her ongoing struggle with dementia, as reported by The New York Post.
Morrissey is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with Lifetime’s parent company, A&E Television Networks, over the release of the documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? The two-part docuseries, which premiered in February, centers on the former radio star’s struggles with alcohol abuse and addiction as well as the decline of her long-running daytime talk show, The Wendy Williams Show.
In the new lawsuit, Morrissey alleged that both companies “cruelly” exploited Williams’ “cognitive and physical decline“by producing and airing the documentary at a time when Williams was particularly vulnerable and unable to consent to being filmed.
Wendy Williams was diagnosed with dementia in 2023.
In 2023, Wendy Williams was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Aphasia disrupts language and communication abilities, often following brain injuries or strokes, while FTD significantly alters behavior, cognitive function, and personality.
Morrissey alleged that A&E Television Networks and producers were aware of Williams’ condition but “intentionally manipulated and goaded” the Hot Topics creator “to trigger strong emotional reactions and acquire embarrassing footage” during her vulnerable state.
In the court filing, Morrissey’s attorneys requested that certain details regarding Williams’ “health, familial relationships, and finances“ be redacted from the case to protect her privacy.
The defendants, however, presented their defense, arguing that the lawsuit stemmed from Morrissey’s “misguided” attempts “to excuse her failure to protect her ward.“ A&E Television Networks and producers further claimed that they had obtained Williams’ “consent, input, and participation“ to make the documentary before her dementia diagnosis and the appointment of a guardian. The New York Post noted that Morrissey and the defendants have called for a trial, which they expect to last two to four weeks.
Morrissey filed her lawsuit in September.
As previously reported by MadameNoire, Morrissey filed an initial complaint against A&E Television Networks in September, accusing the network of humiliating and exploiting Williams in their two-part docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams? Morrissey alleged that Williams was paid only $82,000 for her participation in the docuseries and that thespecial portrayed her in a “highly demeaning and embarrassing” manner despite having led the former talk show host to believe she would be depicted in a “positive” light.
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