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Wendy Williams is pushing back against claims that she is suffering from cognitive impairment following her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. The former talk-show host appeared on "The Breakfast Club" on Thursday, where she refuted the notion that she requires the extensive care she is currently receiving. Charlamagne tha God, a co-host of the show and a long-time friend of Williams, introduced her, stating that she is "being taken advantage of." "I am not cognitively impaired," Williams asserted, adding, "But I do feel like I am in prison." She described her living situation among residents in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, emphasizing that at 60, she still feels "sexy and gorgeous." She expressed concern about the well-being of those around her, saying, "There's something wrong with these people here on this floor." Last year, Williams' representatives announced her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, conditions known to affect cognitive abilities and communication, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. During her conversation with "The Breakfast Club," she voiced her dissatisfaction with the facility's restrictions, noting that she is not allowed to leave or have visitors. "You can't even leave and take a walk if you wanted to," she lamented. Accompanying her was her niece, Alex Fannie, who described her aunt's residence as a "luxury prison." Fannie recounted her own experience visiting Williams, highlighting the excessive security measures and intrusive questioning she faced. "I mean, it was absolutely just horrible," she said, adding that her aunt is unable to contact family or friends or access the internet. Williams expressed feeling "trapped in a conservatorship" and lamented spending several birthdays alone, which she likened to "emotional abuse." In 2022, she was placed under a court-ordered financial guardianship. CNN has reached out to her legal guardian, attorney Sabrina Morrissey, for a response. Williams hosted the widely popular "The Wendy Williams Show" from 2008 until its cancellation in 2022, facing numerous health challenges in the latter years of the show's run. In 2017, she collapsed during a live episode due to an electrolyte imbalance, and by 2018, she took a medical leave for Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder. In 2019, various guest hosts stepped in as she recovered from a shoulder fracture. Williams was unable to host her show during the 2021-2022 season, leading to its eventual cancellation. Fannie criticized the conservatorship system and suggested that a new medical evaluation could potentially restore some of her aunt's independence. "I'm not asking for a whole lot," Fannie stated. "All I'm saying is just treat the woman with dignity and give her the freedoms that she deserves."
Wendy Williams is responding to claims suggesting that she is struggling with impairment following her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
The former talk-show host spoke with the "The Breakfast Club" on Thursday, where she denied that she needs the level of care she's currently receiving.
Charlamagne tha God, one of the co-hosts of the show and a friend of Williams for two decades, welcomed her as a guest and remarked that Williams is "being exploited."
"I may not have any cognitive impairments," Williams stated. "However, I do feel as though I am trapped in a prison."
Williams shared that she finds herself "surrounded by people in their 90s, 80s, and 70s," and noted that at 60, she still feels "sexy and beautiful." Despite the advanced age of those around her, she remarked, "There’s definitely something off about the people on this floor."
Representatives for Williams announced last year that she was diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023. The conditions can impair cognitive function, communication and speech in impacted individuals, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
On Thursday, Williams had a lengthy discussion with "The Breakfast Club," where she shared her disappointment regarding the restrictions at her current living facility, stating that it doesn't permit her to leave or have any visitors.
"You can't even step out for a walk if that's what you wanted to do," Williams remarked.
Her niece, Alex Fannie, accompanied her and remarked that her aunt is residing in what she describes as a "luxury prison."
"She spends all her time in that same room, day in and day out, without getting enough natural light," her niece remarked. "When I visited her in New York last October, the security measures and the barrage of questions I faced—like, 'Who are you? What brings you here? What's your intention?'—were just terrible."
Finnie mentioned that her aunt is unable to contact family or friends, nor can she access the internet.
Williams expressed that she feels "confined within a conservatorship" and has celebrated multiple birthdays in solitude, likening the experience to "emotional abuse."
In 2022, Williams was assigned a court-mandated financial guardian. CNN has contacted her legal representative, attorney Sabrina Morrissey, for a statement.
Williams ran her well-known daytime talk show "The Wendy Williams Show" from 2008 until 2022. As the show's production neared its conclusion, she encountered several health challenges.
Williams passed while hosting an episode in 2017, later explaining that an electrolyte imbalance had caused her to collapse. She took a medical leave from production in 2018 to deal with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder, on her doctor's orders. In 2019, multiple guest hosts filled in for Williams for several weeks as she recovered from a fractured shoulder.
Williams was unable to present her show during the 2021-2022 television season, leading to its eventual cancellation.
Finnie expressed concerns about the conservatorship system and wondered whether a new medical assessment could potentially help her aunt regain a degree of independence.
"I'm not asking for much," Fannie expressed. "All I'm asking is to treat the woman with respect. She deserves the freedoms that are rightfully hers."
