Wendy Williams’ documentary is devastating
Wendy Williams is an American broadcaster, producer, and media personality, most popular for her television program, The Wendy Williams Show. Like most television viewers, I was never the biggest fan of Wendy Williams, her personality, and the show itself. Williams is most popular for her feuds with Tupac, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé, along with a lengthy list of controversial comments throughout her years as a host on both radio and television. Williams’ long, successful, and controversial career abruptly came to a halt, however, after she was given a devastating medical diagnosis.
In 2021, Williams was forced to take a leave from her talk show due to unknown health issues, and in 2023 it was revealed that she was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. Aphasia can affect a patient's ability to communicate and understand language, while frontotemporal dementia affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are associated with personality, behavior, and language.
Back to her show for just a second; it was not always a dig at a random celebrity. Wendy is an icon! She has given viewers so many funny moments, not to mention the amount of memes she has provided throughout the years. She is someone who has been authentic in her craft and even if you hate her, you cannot deny her ability to charm her audience. She is a true entertainer and not seeing her on the screen has been hard to get used to.
Williams was also very open about her personal life and would gossip about her own issues. She talked about having Graves’ disease, which is an immune system disorder that causes hyperthyroidism, her addiction, and, as she has stated, contributed to her messy divorce. Williams also did not treat her fans as “fans,” as she regularly referred to them as “co-hosts,” and talked directly to them as if they were long-time friends catching up on daily gossip.
On Feb. 24, 2024, Lifetime Entertainment released a new show entitled, Where Is Wendy Williams? It serves as a new docuseries following the life of Williams after she was put under financial guardianship. Guardianship, frequently known as conservatorship, is a legal process where an individual is unable to manage affairs due to an illness, disability, or injury. Lifetime’s description of the show states, “Wendy’s delicate state of mind, erratic behavior, and declining health were all captured on camera.”
This has been an incredibly dark time for Wendy and her family, who are featured throughout the docuseries. Her most vulnerable state is being used for the entertainment of those who may love or hate her, and I struggle to see how this is beneficial to viewers.
Williams is a human being, regardless of the controversial things she has done or said in the past. It is unfair to expose her to the world in this condition. I strongly believe that in this dark time in her life, she needs the love and support of her family and close friends—not the attention of viewers gawking in their own homes. She deserves privacy and peace during this vulnerable time.
It is safe to say that I will not be tuning in to the four-part docuseries. Williams has a history of being unkind and problematic and, for a long time, I resented her for speaking on topics I felt she had no business sharing with her audience. Still, I can only hope that at this point she will be met with respect and is in a safe environment.
Thumbnail Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons