Wendy Williams spoke out about the “overwhelming” response to her shocking dementia diagnosis, asking for “personal space” rather than being a hot topic again.
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
Concerned fans wondered about the TV titan’s health since she departed The Wendy Williams Show more than a year ago. Following a press release from her care team, Wendy discussed her diagnosis in her own words. According to PEOPLE, Wendy is grateful for the “overwhelming” support and asked for “personal space.”
“I want to say I have immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis of Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD),” Wendy said.
“Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming. The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion.”
Bruce Willis also suffers from frontotemporal dementia.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, FTD is a group of disorders that occur when nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain are lost. It can affect behavior, personality, language, and movement.
The queen of gossip and entertainment news used to make everything fair game, including herself. Despite years of Wendy welcoming an audience into her personal life, she wants to embrace this next chapter with some privacy.
“I hope that others with FTD may benefit from my story. I want to also thank the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration for their kind words of support and their extraordinary efforts to raise awareness of FTD,” the 59-year-old added.
“I continue to need personal space and peace to thrive. Please just know that your positivity and encouragement are deeply appreciated.”
Wendy’s request for privacy comes just a day before a new documentary reveals intimate details from her life.
See the latest news on the Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary that her guardians filed a lawsuit to stop.
Lifetime Moves Forward With Airing Where Is Wendy Williams? After Guardian Sues To Stop Premiere
Source: Variety / Getty
As BOSSIP previously reported, the legend’s legal guardian sued the Lifetime Network’s parent company to stop it from airing Where Is Wendy Williams? Sabrina Morrissey’s attorney filed the documents on Thursday under seal.
Executive producer Mark Ford told PEOPLE “Wendy’s attorneys and the guardianship attorneys were consulted and signed off on” the film. He blamed the last-minute objections on the unexpected discovery of “the truth of the situation.” That could include Wendy accusing her guardian of stealing money from her.
“They were aware of the filming all the way through. So, we did go by the book and get all the permissions that we needed to get. We went into this film thinking it was one thing, and the truth turned out to be another. Once we started seeing the truth of the situation, we couldn’t ignore it. And the film had to go in the direction of the truth,” he continued.
Despite the request for a temporary restraining order to push pause on the film, a court ruled in Lifetime’s favor on Friday.
“Lifetime appeared in court today, and the documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? will air this weekend, as planned,” a spokesperson told CNN.
The four-part documentary series, which Wendy executive produced, candidly covers her health issues and struggles with alcohol abuse. She originally pitched the project about her transition from talk show host to launching a podcast in 2023. However, this is around the same time as her FTD diagnosis.
Morrissey and her attorney did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Where Is Wendy Williams? premieres Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
Will you be watching?
