New details have emerged about the lawsuit filed by Wendy Williams‘ temporary guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, seeking to block the broadcast of the documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?”
Last month, the complaint claimed that Lifetime’s parent company, A&E Television Networks, and its docuseries “shamelessly” took advantage of and portrayed Williams “in an extremely demeaning and undignified manner.”
Sabrina Morrissey Is Less Than Pleased With Lifetime’s Portrayal Of Wendy Williams
Over two weeks after Lifetime broadcasted its Williams-focused project, Morrissey’s contention that Williams “was not, and is not, capable of consenting to the terms” of the documentary contract has surfaced.
In case you missed it, Williams’ care team revealed that she was diagnosed in 2023 with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia on February 22, 2024.
Due to her medical condition, Morrissey asserted that “Williams] lacked capacity when the Contract was purportedly executed, and she remains in that condition.”
Morrissey emphasized that all contracts, including those involving a documentary containing privately-shot footage of the longtime talk show host, needed court and guardian approval before public release. Nonetheless, the court-appointed financial guardian argued that “no such approval was sought or provided.”
Morrissey stated in the complaint that she permitted the docuseries to proceed under the condition that the project would only advance with the “review and final approval of the Guardian and the court, who are responsible for [Williams’] wellbeing.”
However, she contended that no such permissions were sought, and she was “horrified” upon the trailer’s release as she was assured the documentary would depict Williams positively.
Morrissey Expressed Her Disgust At The ‘Blatant Exploitation Of A Vulnerable Woman’
The lawsuit claims that the complete documentary would further portray the 59-year-old in a humiliating and demeaning light, exploiting her medical condition for perceived entertainment value and viewer interest.
Describing the situation as a “blatant exploitation of a vulnerable woman beloved by millions, both within and outside the African American community,” the document further denounced it as disgusting and unacceptable.
Despite being listed as an executive producer, the lawsuit alleged that Williams was consistently incapable of managing her own business and personal affairs, having been placed under guardianship and court supervision.
Per the complaint obtained by ET, the writer did not have the capacity to approve how “she was filmed and portrayed in the trailer and documentary.”
Upon filing, Morrissey sought a temporary restraining order on the documentary, initially granted but later overturned by superior court’s Appellate Justice Peter H. Moulton.
Moultou concluded that blocking the documentary’s broadcast would constitute an “impermissible prior restraint on speech” in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Wendy Williams’ Family Have Questions For The Court
Despite her seeming concerns in the complaint, The Blast disclosed that Williams’ family did not trust Morrissey.
In a report published last month, it was shared that the family was openly criticizing the guardianship, declaring that the system had significantly limited their access to Williams. In the words of Williams’ sister Wanda Finnie:
“How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is healthy one minute to this person who’s in and out of the hospital? How is that system better than the system the family could put in place? I don’t know. I do know that this system is broken. I hope that at some point, Wendy becomes strong enough where she can speak on her own behalf.”
Wendy Williams Was Slammed For Unpaid Taxed By Authorities
Williams faced even more difficulties when her expensive New York City condo was threatened by federal authorities, who claimed she owed them $568,451.57. Even though she reportedly purchased the home for $4.5 million in 2021, the substantial amount stems from unpaid federal taxes for 2019 and 2021.
Records indicated that the tax lien was established in January, but it was not officially recorded with the New York City Department of Finance until early February. At the time of The Blast‘s story coverage, there was no indication that the matter was resolved.
Yet, Morrissey may have addressed the lien. Morrissey was appointed as the financial officer around Spring 2022, suggesting she may have been unaware of the purported tax violations.
Williams Is In A Better Place Emotionally
Regarding Williams’ current whereabouts, while all these matters unfold, she resides in a facility for cognitive issues following a breakdown in April 2023. As it turned out, the facility has worked wonders for the talk show host.
When talking about her aunt’s well-being, Finnie shared that Williams is now in “a healing place emotionally” and no longer resembles the troubled individual depicted in “Where Is Wendy Williams?”
She added, “I don’t know what is working, but I do know that when she did reach out to me, it was a person who is remarkably different than what we see in that documentary.”