Former daytime talk show host Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), her team confirmed in a press release on Thursday.
FTD is caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brain’s frontal lobes, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Aphasia is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. Bruce Willis revealed last year that he was also diagnosed with aphasia.
The press release said that “after undergoing a battery of medical tests,” Williams, 59, was diagnosed last year.
“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 said.
William’s team noted that the decision to share her diagnosis was “difficult,” but they are hoping the news will bring awareness to aphasia and FTD.
Her team said that the media personality can still “do many things for herself” and is receiving treatment.
“Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed,” the release said. “She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way.”
Williams previously revealed that she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid, and hyperthyroidism more than 20 years ago.
While appearing on “Good Morning America,” she opened up about her previous diagnoses, noting that at the time, she wasn’t prioritizing her health.
“We, as women, particularly if — we have families, you know, we’re taking care of children, we’re taking care of, you know, home, our husbands, we take care of everybody but ourselves,” she told “GMA” in March 2018, People reports.
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She added: “And it’s really unfortunate. And that — that is something that has no socioeconomic thing to it. No matter what — no matter what the woman’s status is, it seems like we’re all in the same boat. I’m not doing that anymore. Wendy first.”
In 2022, Williams’ long-running daytime talk show, “The Wendy Williams Show,” came to an end after she took medical leave due to her chronic health-related issues.
This latest announcement about Williams arrives ahead of the premiere of the documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?” It will air on Lifetime on Saturday and Sunday.