A woman claiming to be the temporary guardian of Wendy Williams has sued Lifetime parent company A+E Networks, just days before it is set to drop an explosive documentary about the former TV host.
Sabrina Morrissey, on behalf of “W.W.H.” (Wendy Williams Hunter), filed a lawsuit against A+E Networks and documentary producer Entertainment One (also known as eOne) in New York Supreme Court on Thursday, The Times has confirmed. As of Friday morning, the court documents — detailing Morrissey’s allegations against the A+E and eOne — are sealed.
Legal representatives for A+E and eOne filed an appeal — also sealed — on Friday, but did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment. Morrissey also did not respond to The Times’ request for comment.
Williams, who solidified her place in the daytime talk space with unapologetic and scathing commentary about trending and pop culture topics, will be the subject of a new Lifetime documentary set to premiere Saturday evening. “Where Is Wendy Williams?” seeks to shed light on the TV host’s life and the physical, mental and financial struggles that loomed ahead of her TV departure in 2022. Williams was placed under financial guardianship amid a legal battle with Wells Fargo.
“The Wendy Williams Show” concluded after 13 seasons in 2022, though its eponymous host was absent for its series finale. The talk show was canceled as Williams faced several health issues, including her ongoing battle with Graves’ disease, a thyroid-related autoimmune condition.
“Where is Wendy Williams?” will debut on Saturday, February 24 and 25, 2024, at 8pm ET/PT on Lifetime.
(Lifetime / A&E Networks)
Earlier this week, representatives for Williams announced in a statement that the 59-year-old TV personality has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. The missive detailed concerns over Williams’ difficulty in processing information, noting that she “began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions.”
The statement continued: “The decision to share this news was difficult and made after careful consideration, not only to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, but to raise awareness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of others facing similar circumstances.”
Aphasia and frontotemporal dementia are the same mental conditions afflicting “Die Hard” actor Bruce Willis, who ended his decades-long acting career in 2022 amid his diagnosis.
Williams’ loved ones told People this week that she is receiving treatment “in a wellness, healing type of environment,” but that they are unable to reach the former TV star “due to a lack of communication with Williams’ guardian.”
Alex Finnie, William’s niece who is featured in the forthcoming Lifetime doc, opened up about her aunt’s condition in a conversation with ABC News’ Deborah Roberts. A clip of the interview aired Thursday on “Good Morning America.”
“When I saw her, she didn’t have to say one thing. I knew that every cylinder is not firing the way it should,” Finnie said.
Finnie also said that her aunt is an executive producer for the Lifetime project and sees the documentary as an opportunity for Williams to “take ownership of my story.”
“What people are going to see is a broken woman who has had the world on her shoulders for so long, and just cracked,” Finnie said. She added that Williams still wants to make a TV comeback.
Finnie did not respond to The Times’ request for comment about the lawsuit on Friday.