Wendy Williams' Family Shares Heartbreaking Details of Talk Show Host's 'Shocking and Heartbreaking’ Struggles

The former TV host's manager, Will Selby, previously told ET that Williams was 'taking it day by day.'

Wendy Williams' family has stepped forward to shed light on what the former talk show host's life has been like since stepping away from the limelight.

The interviews come ahead of Lifetime's documentary, Where Is Wendy Williams?, where Williams will tell her own story. Speaking to People, Alex Finnie, Wendy Williams' niece, expresses shock and heartbreak witnessing her aunt's struggles over the past few months and years.

"We've all seen the images... of what has seemed like a spiral for my aunt," Finnie says. "It was shocking and heartbreaking to see her in this state."

Finnie will join other family members in the documentary, which details what led to Williams being placed under the control of a court-ordered guardian

Williams' manager, Will Selby, revealed in the documentary that Williams entered a treatment facility in April 2023 for "cognitive issues" and remains there.

Lifetime

In June 2023, Shelby exclusively told ET, "Wendy is at a facility doing her best to be her best. She's taking it day by day."

Wanda, Wendy's sister and Finnie's mother, expresses bewilderment at the situation, stating, "The people who love her cannot see her. I think the big question is: How the hell did we get here?"

In poignant moments of the documentary, Williams' longtime driver recounts instances where the TV personality would forget activities they had just completed, hinting at potential memory loss attributed to her condition.

"I don’t know what the hell is going on," her driver says in the doc, according to the magazine. "I think she’s losing memory. She doesn’t know who I am sometimes."

Lifetime

In February 2022, Wells Fargo alleged that Wendy was of "unsound mind" and required guardianship due to purported "undue influence and financial exploitation." Wendy has vehemently denied these claims and has demanded the return of her money.

Production of The Wendy Williams Show was canceled in June 2022. Shortly after, Sherri Shepherd took over Williams' time slot, and Williams attempted a podcast project.

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Exact Publicity

Although still under guardianship, the trailer suggests that Wendy is now prioritizing time with her family. "I love being famous," she declares, "but family is everything -- everything."

Where is Wendy Williams?, a four-and-a-half-hour, two-night documentary event, will premiere Saturday, Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 at 8pm ET/PT on Lifetime.

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