Wendy Williams ‘permanently incapacitated’ after dementia diagnosis, says legal guardian

Wendy Williams is “permanently incapacitated”, according to court documents filed by her legal guardian.

A health update from Sabrina Morrissey, who is caring for the 60-year-old former presenter, wrote that she had become “cognitively impaired” and her health had deteriorated.

Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia in May 2023, according to an update in February.

Court filings obtained by The Independent revealed that, after “becoming aware of a pattern of disturbing events concerning [Wendy Williams’] welfare and finances” in 2022, financial experts Wells Fargo initiated guardianship proceedings.

in the filings, Williams is described as an “acclaimed entertainer who, tragically, has been afflicted by early-onset dementia and has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated”.

Morrissey, who became the star’s legal guardian following a legal battle during which Wells Fargo froze Williams’ bank accounts, petitioned a judge to protect her privacy and “non-public information” around the guardianship proceedings, which had been placed under seal by the court.

She also tried to block controversial documentary Where is Wendy Williams? The request was denied, with the judge ruling that preventing it airing would be an “impermissible prior restraint on speech that violates the First Amendment of the constitution.”

The documentary, in which Williams appeared unable to walk without help, and experiencing significant mood swings, was labelled an “exploitative display of her cognitive decline and emotional well-being”.

In February, following the revelation William’s diagnosis, executive producer Erica Hanson said: “We decided to stop filming. We kept hoping that she was going to get better but it became apparent to us that she was not and that she really needed help.”

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