“Where's Wendy Williams?” shocked viewers this weekend when it aired on Lifetime, with several scenes showing the former daytime talk show host in an erratic emotional state as she struggled with physical and cognitive health issues.
Mark Ford and Erica Hanson, executive producers of the documentary, said they were both surprised and concerned by their findings during the eight months of filming. When producing the 4½-hour special, they were faced with the challenge of portraying Williams' life in a way that could be captured in a way Honest and sensitive nature, even though she was unaware of her dementia diagnosis. Williams' care team recently announced that she was diagnosed last year with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which can lead to impaired communication skills.
“It was a labor of love for us to tell Wendy’s story with dignity and responsibility,” Hanson said.
Even now, knowing of her diagnosis, producers said in an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday that they are sticking by their decision to air Williams' awkward moments in the hope that it will spark conversations about conservatorships.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: How was the documentary received by viewers and Williams' family?
Ford: The response was overwhelming, [with] an incredible number of polarizing opinions. We always knew it would be like this. But we think it raises an incredibly important issue: What can happen to someone if they are placed under a guardianship that is outside of their family's jurisdiction?
We spoke to the family before and after the documentary aired. And of course they are overwhelmed by the amount of support and comments. But they were really supportive of the issue and continue to be so.
Hanson: We know there are times when it's difficult to watch. It can be painful and sad, and that's how it was when filming. But it was so important to us to be able to shed light on the reality of Wendy's life during this time under guardianship. And it was really interesting to see the audience showing the same kind of empathy and understanding.
Q: How did you meet Wendy and what did you want to achieve with the documentary?
Ford: At first it was a sequel to the documentary we made with her, “Wendy Williams: What a Mess!” It was just intended to pick up the story where it left off and follow Wendy [as she] gets her career back on track and gets back into the public eye through a podcast.
As the months of filming went on, it became clear that she wouldn't be able to start a podcast. The story revealed itself to be something else. We had no choice but to move forward toward this truth.
In the film you can see how the filmmakers wrestle with many things [unanswered] Questions and concerns. We wanted to understand why Wendy was alone in this New York apartment, almost by choice, without much care, without much food in the fridge and without access to alcohol. Why did this happen and why wasn't the family part of it?
As we began filming, the family perspective came into focus.
Hanson: This story originally fascinated me [because] Wendy is an icon and extraordinary figure in pop culture [who’s] so open in their thoughts and opinions.
When we started filming, we were very worried about her and her relationship with alcohol. It is a two-story apartment. She has lymphedema. We were all afraid that she would fall down the stairs. And many of us are affected by addiction in our own lives.
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We didn't know anything about the diagnosis of dementia. We only found out about this at the end of our filming when the family told us about it. For us it was a matter of the heart to tell Wendy's story with dignity and responsibility. At times it was a challenge [like] When we wanted to film her vaping. That was a really good example of “How and when do we stop filming?” What's in their best interest? But how do we also shed light on the frightening reality of their world?”
Q: What shocked you most about filming?
Ford: The most shocking thing about the filming is that everything you see in this documentary took place while Wendy was supposed to be under the care of a court-appointed guardian who was entrusted with her finances and health.
This could be the level of care that any of our family members could receive if placed under the care of a guardian and that is the world famous Wendy Williams. There are so many other families out there who don't have a platform to tell their stories. None of us thought of this film that it would be a guardianship. But we couldn't shy away from this truth.
Hanson: The truth is sometimes not pleasant. And to show the fragility of a person, to tell the truth, was difficult in this situation.
Q: How involved was Wendy in the production of the documentary? Were you worried about showing her in such a vulnerable state?
Hanson: Every day we talked to Wendy about what we were doing. She knew about everything we were shooting and she had an opinion about whether she wanted to do it or not. She would let us know when she was finished for the day. We wanted to create a balance. It was important to show things that are sometimes hard to see, to really show what she was dealing with. After we found out about the diagnosis, we stopped filming shortly after. So it was a daily decision about how to navigate her world.
Ford: Once we knew the diagnosis, the story shifted to the families' perspective on the guardianship and level of care Wendy received. That's really the only additional film we did.
Wendy was an EP on it. She had opinions. At the start of the documentary, Erica asked her, “Are there things you're not comfortable with?” Are there lines here that we shouldn't cross?” Wendy said, “No, ask me what.” That's very true of the Wendy we all know and love.