The first time Wendy Williams has been seen since her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, asserted that she was "permanently incapacitated" due to early on-set dementia, she was spotted.
According to Page Six, a video that was uploaded to Instagram by writer Antoine Edwards showed the retired television star was beaming with happiness as she sat in the back seat of a black SUV in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sunday, when she was picking up an order from Sho'nuff Oysters from the restaurant.
Williams, who is sixty years old, adorned herself for the occasion by donning an army green jacket and embellishing with a number of pieces of jewelry, including a big ring.
In addition to wearing red lipstick, the former talk show host featured light brown hair that was styled with bangs.
It has been stated by Edwards that her nephew Travis Finnie was present with her to support her.
Morrissey, Williams' legal guardian, stated that the media personality's mental health condition had deteriorated, which led to the uncommon sighting of Williams.
"[Wendy Williams Hunter], an acclaimed entertainer who, tragically, has been afflicted by early-onset dementia and, as a result, has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated," a letter filed in New York court on Nov. 12 stated.
It was done to provide support for Morrissey's lawsuit against A+E Networks, which is being filed against the latter for allegedly exploiting Williams in their documentary "Where Is Wendy Williams?" that was broadcast on Lifetime.
Williams' troubles with addiction and financial difficulties were the subject of the four-part documentary series that Morrissey had attempted to prevent from being released, but he was unsuccessful.
As The U.S. Sun reported, following the conclusion of production, it became public knowledge that the former cast member of "The Wendy Williams Show" had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, a condition that results in memory loss and has an impact on conduct.
She exhibited symptoms of the condition from the beginning of the documentary filming, according to the allegations.
It was believed that Williams was only compensated $82,000 for her participation in the documentary series, although Morrissey claimed that the producers gained millions of dollars from the series.
Not only did Morrissey ask for further money for Williams, but she also asked the judge to redact "sensitive information" about the television magnate in order to safeguard her privacy.
A+E Networks, on the other hand, has maintained their innocence and asserted that Morrissey did not "protect" Williams and that she let the former host be videotaped "without checking in on her."
In response, Morrissey's attorney asserted that she was unaware of a filming arrangement until seven months after the documentary production process had begun.
"None of the defendants ever gained the guardian's consent for [Williams'] participation to be filmed," her lawyer wrote in a statement.
On social media, users have voiced mixed feelings about the situation. Some criticized the production of the "Where Is Wendy Williams?" documentary, questioning its ethical implications. One X user posted, "If you really cared about Wendy, why exploit her struggles for ratings?" while another remarked, "This is just another example of how the media profits from a person's pain."
Meanwhile, others showed support for Williams, hoping that the legal action would lead to justice. A follower said, "Sabrina Morrissey is doing the right thing protecting Wendy from this exploitation. #JusticeForWendy" and another netizen added, "Wendy has been through so much. She deserves respect and privacy."
Further, a fan said, "Wendy is a legend, and no one should be profiting off her health problems. #StopExploitation." Similarly, another commented, "It's painful to see someone we admired being used for financial gain. Wishing Wendy all the strength."
Business Times has reached out to Wendy Williams' team for comments.
