Former daytime talk show host Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia, her team revealed in a press release on Thursday, February 22nd.
According to the release, Williams was diagnosed with both conditions in 2023 “after undergoing a battery of medical tests.” Aphasia, which impacts the ability to communicate, led to the retirement of Bruce Willis in March 2022.
Meanwhile, FTD affects behavioral and cognitive functions. Both conditions have “presented significant hurdles” to Williams’ life, with her team acknowledging recent speculation around her public behavior.
“Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy’s ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions,” the release stated.
It continued, “Unfortunately, many individuals diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia face stigma and misunderstanding, particularly when they begin to exhibit behavioral changes but have not yet received a diagnosis.”
The announcement comes one day after Williams’ family revealed that she had entered a facility to treat cognitive issues.
Unfortunately, the neurological disorders aren’t the only health issues Williams has disclosed in the past several years. In 2018, Williams revealed her longtime struggles with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid. The following year, she said she had been diagnosed with lymphedema.
In 2022, The Wendy Williams Show ceased production due to her ongoing health struggles after nearly 15 years on the airwaves. Earlier that year, Wells Fargo froze Williams’ accounts and she was placed under a financial guardianship after the bank claimed she was an “incapacitated person” and the “victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.”
Later this week, a two-part documentary called Where is Wendy Williams? will air on Lifetime. Out February 24th, it will “follow Wendy’s life after the end of her iconic daytime show, her health and substance abuse battles,” according to the official logline. Watch the trailer below.