Wendy Williams. Lars Niki/Getty Images for New York Women in Film & Television
Wendy Williams has made a lot of progress since documenting her health struggles for a Lifetime special.
Wendy’s brother, Tommy Williams, exclusively told Us Weekly about his recent conversations as she continues to receive treatment in an undisclosed facility.
“When I speak to Wendy she sounds fine. Wendy has improved,” Tommy claimed. “I know my sister from where she was to where she is now, and she has a substantial amount of improvement. It’s dialogue and conversation, topics, content, speech pattern, everything.”
According to Tommy, his sister hasn’t exhibited “past behaviors” that were the subject of her documentary, which aired earlier this month.
Wendy Williams has made headlines for much more than her brutally honest opinions and on-air spats with her A-list interviewees. The talk show host has found herself face-to-face with numerous health and personal struggles, from struggling with a cocaine addiction in the beginning of her career, to more recently, battling Graves’ disease, hyperthyroidism and other […]
“The past was obvious. We saw it,” he continued. “She was in a worse state, and the [documentary] movie depicted it. Now [she is in] a different state.”
Where Is Wendy Williams?, which had a two-night premiere on Saturday, February 24, and Sunday, February 25, focused on Wendy’s ongoing health and legal battles before she was diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. Wendy’s family was featured in the film as they spoke about her personal ups and downs, including alcohol dependency. (Wendy, 59, also suffers from Graves disease and hyperthyroidism.)
Wendy’s guardian subsequently filed a lawsuit against A&E Television Networks. In documents obtained by Us on Thursday, February 22, an individual named Sabrina Morrissey stated that she is acting in her capacity as temporary guardian by filing her motion. A judge ruled on Friday, February 23, that the documentary could still air as planned despite the ongoing lawsuit.
Wendy ultimately addressed concerns about her health in a rare statement.
“I want to say I have immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis of Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD),” she told Us on Friday. “Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming.”
Wendy continued: “I hope that others with FTD may benefit from my story. I want to also thank the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration for their kind words of support and their extraordinary efforts to raise awareness of FTD.”
The statement ended with Wendy noting how she will still need “personal space and peace to thrive” in her life. She also reminded her fans that their “positivity and encouragement” have been “deeply appreciated” as Wendy continues to focus on herself.
While speaking to Us, Tommy continues to wait for the public to see Wendy’s positive developments firsthand.
“There’s no visual [yet] on Wendy moving her lips on her own growth and development,” he said. “I was hoping she would come out and speak and would settle a lot of the chatter. It’s not, ‘Oh, my God.’ That’s not what I have experienced. I have experienced growth. There is some comeback.”
“My hope is that Wendy will be seen and address the public on her own so people can see how she is now,” he noted. “I am proud of her development and I think it can change the narrative. I think Wendy can come all the way back. Her story is inspirational. Her story is one to share and it’s impactful.”
With reporting by Andrea Simpson