What happened to Wendy Williams?
What happened to Wendy Williams? It all started in October 2017, when Williams fainted live on air. “A lot of people thought that was a joke, me fainting on my set,” she said at the time. “No, that was not a joke. I’m a tall woman, and it’s a long way down.”
She explained: “I’m a 53-year-old, middle-aged woman going through what middle-aged women go through if you know what I mean,” hinting at hot flashes experienced during menopause. “The costume got hot. All the sudden right before passing out, I felt like I was in the middle of a campfire.”
Several months later, Williams disclosed that she has Graves’ disease, which causes an overactive thyroid, the organ that regulates body temperature, heart rate and metabolism. An overactive thyroid causes problems with organs like the heart, as well as bones and muscles.
Then, in March 2019, Williams said she had been living in a sober house “for some time”. Later that year, Williams revealed she had been diagnosed with lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling in her ankles.
This series of health issues caused her to take multiple hiatuses. The Wendy Williams Show went remote during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her autoimmune condition forced her to take more time off as guests filled in for her in her absence. The show’s 13th season would be its last.
In February 2022, it was announced that The Wendy Williams Show was to be canceled, while Sherri Shepherd would “inherit” Williams’ timeslot. “Since Wendy is still not available to host the show as she continues on her road to recovery, we believe it is best for our fans, stations and advertising partners to start making this transition now,” company co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said at the time, per AP.
“We hope to be able to work with Wendy again in the future, and continue to wish her a speedy and full recovery,” the executives said. In a statement, Williams spokesman Howard Bragman said it’s been a “challenging time” as she deals with her health.
On February 22, 2024, two days before the documentary was set to air, a statement revealed the former talk show host was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. Her team said the conditions have “presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life.”
“Wendy would not have received confirmation of these diagnoses were it not for the diligence of her current care team, who she chose, and the extraordinary work of the specialists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires,” the statement read.


















