WENDY Williams has been battling various health issues for nearly two decades.
The talk show host has been candid about her well-being numerous times after needing to take time off from the industry to recuperate.
How is Wendy Williams doing?
On June 17, 2022, The Wendy Williams Show officially came to an end after airing on television for over a decade.
Wendy Williams has been struggling with various illnesses for the past 19 years due to which she was absent for the last season.
In May 2021, Wendy went on a hiatus from her talk show due to health concerns surrounding her Graves' disease.
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A spokesperson for her show told People at the time that the star had been "dealing with symptoms from her Graves' disease, which is causing fatigue."
She also revealed to the magazine that she was diagnosed with Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism 19 years ago.
Williams said at the time, "I feel a hundred percent better than I was a few months ago. I had a storm going in my body is the best way I can explain it."
"It came from me neglecting my six-month endocrinology appointment."
"I have Graves' disease and hyperthyroid."
"If you have one you don't necessarily have to have the other, but I have both, and I was diagnosed with both 19 years ago."
Wendy has also battled Covid, and question marks have hung over whether she will return to this small screen.
In March 2022, Wendy claimed on Good Morning America that she would return to her show "in three months" and that she had "the body of a 25-year-old."
However, on June 14, 2022, it was announced The Wendy Williams Show was officially canceled.
Timeline of Wendy Williams' health battle
2017
- October: The talk show host fainted live on TV during her live Halloween episode.
2018
- Early February: Wendy canceled three shows after experiencing "flu-like symptoms."
- February 21: She announced a three-week hiatus due to issues with hyperthyroidism.
- December 17: Wendy missed taping her show after suffering a bone fracture.
2019
- Early January: Wendy postponed her return to her show.
- January 18: For the third time, the host pushed back her return.
- January 29: The Wendy Williams Show’s official Instagram revealed Nick Cannon would be taking over as temporary host.
- January-March: DailyMailTV reported at the time that Wendy had been struggling with abusing alcohol and pills after fracturing her shoulder in December 2018, and the outlet claimed Williams checked into a detox and rehab facility during her break from the show.
2020
- Wendy clapped back at those trolling her Lymphedema during an after-show on Instagram, “Stop asking me about the cankles, I have Lymphedema. Stop asking me why I wear sneakers, I have Lymphedema. Stop asking me why my eyes bulge, I’ve got Graves’ disease. Stop asking me, like, dumb mess! Can we connect on a more cerebral level?”
2021
- March: Wendy showed viewers a close-up of her severely swollen ankles as she suffers from Lymphedema.
- May: Wendy went on a hiatus from her talk show due to health concerns surrounding her Graves' disease.
- September 15: Wendy was taken to the hospital for "psychiatric service."
- September 20: Wendy's show was scheduled to return but was delayed after she tested positive for Covid.
- October 4: The Wendy Williams Show was due to return for its 13th season.
- October 18: After being postponed twice, the show premiered.
2022
- January 10: Wendy did not return for the 14th season of her show due to ongoing health issues in January 2022.
- January 21: Wendy's son shared a photo of her in Brickell, Miami.
- March 17: Wendy confirmed on Good Morning America that she would be returning to her show in three months.
- June 14: The Wendy Williams show was canceled.
- September 14: The U.S. Sun exclusively reported that Wendy checked into a wellness facility. Her publicist Shawn Zanotti told The U.S. Sun she checked in to "manage her overall health issues."
2024
- January 26: It was reported that, in 2023, Wendy left New York and moved to Florida to recuperate and be closer to her family.
- February 1: Wendy appeared in a new trailer for a two-night documentary event premiering on Lifetime. The video was removed just moments after release.
- February 2: The official trailer for Where Is Wendy Williams? was re-posted.
- February 22: GMA reported that according to a press release from Wendy and her medical team, the former talk show host was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023. The diagnoses have "enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires."
- February 24: Where Is Wendy Williams? will premiere on Lifetime
- March 13: TMZ reported that the federal government has hit Williams with the charges on her New York City apartment she bought in 2021 for $4.5 million. The feds claim that The Wendy Williams Show host owes them $568,451.57 for federal taxes between 2019 and 2021.
When did the last episode of The Wendy Williams Show air?
The Wendy Williams Show was scheduled to return for its 13th season on October 4, 2021, but it was postponed twice and premiered on October 18.
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Season 13 premiered without Wendy, with a stream of new hosts taking her place.
In February 2022 on The Wendy Williams Show, Sherri Shepherd told fans, "Starting in September I am starting my own talk show!"
After her big announcement, the show's press team sent out the official release that made it clear that Wendy would not return to her own show.
The show was officially canceled on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. The last episode aired on Friday, June 17.
"The final original episode of The Wendy Williams Show will air with a video tribute to the iconic host," a show spokesperson confirmed to Deadline.
When is the Wendy Williams documentary premiering on Lifetime?
Wendy Williams resurfaced for the first time since 2022 in a trailer for a documentary special set to premiere on Lifetime.
The clip, initially released on February 1, 2024, and then re-released on February 2, depicts the broadcaster with her adoring audience on the stage of her show and even receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Her decline in health is also front and center in the trailer.
The two-night documentary event is set to premiere its first part on Saturday, February 24 at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST on Lifetime and will be available for streaming the following day.
"An unfiltered look at Wendy’s life following the end of her iconic talk show," its description states.
Wendy's niece, Alex Finnie, spoke about her aunt and the documentary with Deborah Roberts on GMA.
"I said I wasn't gonna cry — because I feel like I've cried enough over the last year and a half. But what people are gonna see is a broken woman who has had the world on her shoulders for so long — and just cracked," she said.
Alex said she is "prepared" to break the silence about Wendy since her aunt started to stay away from the public eye.
"I've been living in this secret bubble for a very long time," she added.
"During the two years of filming the documentary, Finnie, who occasionally makes an appearance, spent days and nights with Williams where she witnessed some of the star's low moments, including an excessive drinking habit and moments of incoherence," GMA stated.
When asked about criticism that the documentary could be exploiting Williams, Alex replied that Williams said she saw it as a way to "take ownership of my story."
"I understand that people will look at it, and — some people will look at it and think that. But I will say this, first and foremost, my aunt is the executive producer of this documentary," Alex said.
"And when I finally talked with her and I said to her, 'Aunt Wendy, why are — do you wanna do this?' You know, 'You're — you're — you're clearly — the health piece, all of that has to be addressed. Is now the right time?'
"And she said, 'Now is the perfect time because I wanna take ownership of my story.'"