Wendy Williams Declared Legally Incapacitated and Permanently Disabled Amid Dementia Battle
By Chad Hillstack
News of the former talk show host’s diagnosis surfaced in February, just days ahead of the release of Lifetime’s docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams?
Wendy Williams’ struggle with early-onset dementia has progressed, according to her court-appointed guardian.
Legal documents obtained by PEOPLE reveal that Sabrina E. Morrissey, the former talk show host’s guardian, stated that Williams is now “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated.”
This health update comes as Morrissey continues a legal dispute with A&E Television Networks, Lifetime Entertainment, and other parties involved in the release of Where Is Wendy Williams? The docuseries explores Williams’ guardianship, health challenges, and life following the end of The Wendy Williams Show.
Wendy Williams’ health struggles have worsened, with her guardian revealing that the former talk show host is now “permanently incapacitated” due to her dementia diagnosis.
According to court documents made public by Deadline, Williams’ guardian confirmed she is “afflicted by early-onset dementia,” leaving her “cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated.”
In May 2023, Williams was diagnosed with primary aggressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, just a year after being placed under legal guardianship. The court-appointed guardianship manages both her health and finances.
The latest court filing, dated Nov. 12, centers on Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, and her ongoing legal battle over the Lifetime documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? Morrissey had filed suit to block the release of the program, which highlights Williams’ health and struggles with alcohol since departing The Wendy Williams Show. Despite these efforts, the four-episode series aired on Feb. 24, 2024.
The filing alleges that Lifetime and executive producer Mark Ford “exploited Williams’ cognitive and physical decline,” releasing the documentary at a time when she was “highly vulnerable and incapable of consenting to be filmed.” Morrissey’s team further claims the filmmakers “manipulated and provoked” Williams to elicit emotional reactions and obtain embarrassing footage.