Wendy Williams Gives Health Update On The View, Makes Desperate Plea To End Guardianship: 'Get Off My Neck!'
Wendy Williams' answer to "How you doin'?" is a lot more complicated these days.
The former daytime titan made a rare televised "appearance" on Friday, joining the ladies of The View for a wide-ranging phone interview that touched on everything from her controversial guardianship to the location of The Wendy Williams Show's iconic purple chair.
During the pre-recorded segment, Williams opened up about the difficulties of life in the memory care unit of her New York City assistant living facility, where she has resided for the past year. "The people [on this floor] are 90 and 80 and 70," she said. "Look, I'm 60. Why am I here, where people don't remember anything? So I stay into my bedroom the majority of the time. I never go out to eat. Am I permitted to have my friend Gina come visit me? No."
When asked by Sunny Hostin how she keeps her spirits up, Williams replied despondently. "I'm a college educated woman," she said. "I'm a globally recognized person, from radio to television. I've been doing important things all of my life. ... I need them to get off my neck! I can't do it with these two people again. I'm speaking of the guardian and the judge. I need a new guardian and then I'll get out [of the guardianship]."
As explained by Williams' health advocate, the guardianship was triggered by Wells Fargo after noticing suspicious activity in Williams' account. She was initially fine with it, but "Wendy didn't realize that this person was going to take her entire life," the advocate explained. "She just thought someone was going to protect her [financially]."
Williams concluded, "It's time for my money and my life to get back to status quo." As for her substance abuse struggles, Williams informed the co-hosts that she's "easily going on with my life alcohol-free," though she did admit that she "celebrated" her most recent birthday.
The former TV host even gave an update on the iconic purple chair she sat in on The Wendy Williams Show. "The fabulous purple chair is in storage," she said, adding that her guardian has denied her request to visit the storage unit. "But when it comes out of storage, I'm keeping it with me for life. It'll definitely be in my new apartment."
Williams' appearance on The View comes just over one year after she went public about having primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, a diagnosis she apparently received after undergoing "a battery of medical tests."
"Aphasia, a condition affecting language and communication abilities, and frontotemporal dementia, a progressive disorder impacting behavior and cognitive functions, have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy's life," read a statement from Williams' health care team at the time.
Despite that diagnosis, Williams called in to iHeartRadio's The Breakfast Club on Jan. 16 to insist that she's "not cognitively impaired" and wants to be released from the New York City care facility in which she's currently living. "I feel like I'm in a prison," she told the hosts.
"For the last three years, I've spent my birthday by myself," Williams added. "This is what is called emotional abuse." Alex Finnie, Williams' niece, also called in, describing her aunt's facility as a "luxury prison."
As part of her ongoing attempt to end her conservatorship, Williams underwent a cognitive exam at New York City's Lennox Hill Hospital on March 10, and she reportedly passed with flying colors. These results, which suggest that Williams is capable of handling her own affairs, will be sent to the judge in her case for consideration.
Williams stepped away from hosting her self-titled talk show in 2021, following a 13-year run as one of daytime TV's biggest names. She earned four Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host.
What did you think of Williams' appearance on The View? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.