Wendy Williams says she’s healthy and “ready” to return to TV less than a month after her iconic talk show was reassigned – her time slot given to Sherri Shepherd – due to drawn-out health battles.
The former shock jock also responded to Wells Fargo’s claims that she is a “incapacitated person” who suffers from “undue influence and financial exploitation” during a brief interview on Good Morning America on Thursday morning.
She refused to appear on camera, instead talking to correspondent T.J. Holmes on the phone.
When asked if she was sane, the outspoken artist replied: “Absolutely! You?
“When people want to control their accounts, they say anything, including something crazy about me,” she retorted.
“They say I need someone to keep my account and I don’t want that. I want all my money. I want to see all my money that I’ve worked hard for all my life. I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, and I don’t steal. I am an honest, hardworking person,” she said, adding that the bank froze her accounts for two months and prevented her from paying the bills.
Williams fans haven’t seen the presenter in her famous purple chair since July 2021.
“That’s what I would like to say to my watchers of Wendy. Keep watching because I’m going to be back on The Wendy Show bigger and brighter than ever,” she said.
Wendy Williams spoke to Good Morning America reporter T. J. Holmes on Thursday but declined to appear on camera. She said she was “ready” to get back to work
The talk show host has been off the air since July 16, 2021, when she went off the air and promised to return in “two months and weeks.”
The Wendy Williams Show, which is syndicated and airs on Fox-owned stations, was scheduled to return in September for its 13th season. Williams’ return was delayed and ultimately canceled for the remainder of the season after her team stated that she was “experiencing severe complications as a direct result of Graves’ illness and the condition of her thyroid”.
Graves’ disease is an immune system disorder that leads to hyperthyroidism. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease often leads to irritability, fatigue, weight loss, rapid heart rate, and bulging eyes.
After the break, Williams was seen being led by the hand to her New York City apartment in hospital socks and in a wheelchair.
On Thursday, she made it clear that there was nothing to worry about.
“Health is very good. And I did have a few meetings. You know, I’m 57 now, and I have the mind and body of a 25-year-old,” she said.
Last month, production company Debmar-Mercury announced that The Wendy Williams Show would be officially canceled after a number of guest hosts, including Whitney Cummings and Michael Rapaport, replaced the legendary gossip girl.
After the break, Williams was seen in New York in a wheelchair. Her team says she has complications due to Graves’ disease.
Exclusive photos from show Wendy Williams stepping out of a black SUV in New York on September 10, 2021. Her show’s 13th season was scheduled to premiere that month, but the host’s return was delayed and eventually cancelled.
She looked sickly when manager Bernie Young led her by the hand into the apartment.
Actress and friend Sherri Shepard was brought in to compete in the timeslot with her own show, simply titled “Sherri”.
A spokesperson for Williams said she was assured that “if her health improved to the point where she could host again, and if she wanted to host again, she would return to television at that time.”
“I feel very comfortable. You know, my showmates are all ready,” Williams said on Thursday, though she later clarified that she might need extra time.
Well, give me about three months. There are personal matters that I must deal with, and then I will be ready to return, be free and ready to do my own thing.
Last month, a lawyer for her Wells Fargo bank sent a letter to New York County Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth asking for a hearing to discuss her finances.
Williams’ former financial adviser, Lori Schiller, said Williams was “not of her right mind,” which led Wells Fargo to block the New Jersey anchor’s access to her accounts in mid-January.
Lawyers for Williams contested Schiller’s lawsuit and accused Wells Fargo of exceeding its authority. The bank’s lawyer later clarified that he needed “a temporary guardian or appraiser to review the situation and make sure [Williams’] things are going well.”
The bank “has good reason to believe” that Williams is “a victim of undue influence and financial exploitation,” according to a document obtained by Page Six.
On Thursday, Williams said the bank had frozen her account for two months, preventing her from accessing her funds or paying her bills and mortgage.
“Well, you know I want to spend more time with my family. And, you know, I’m working and waiting for answers to my money situation and Wells Fargo. And they don’t like it,” she said.
A member of Williams’ team called on the phone to explain the situation in more detail.
“There was a man at Wells Fargo that Wendy worked with.
“Wendy wanted her son to start coming in so he could say a little more about it and get a little bit of knowledge about Wendy Williams internals, so the person who was there had to lose some of the access. Wendy what she had before and I don’t think she liked it,” said a member of the team.
A Wells Fargo lawyer called Williams an “incompetent person” who is being “unduely influenced” in a lawsuit last month. The bank also called for an interim conservative
A member of Williams’ team said Thursday that Wells Fargo froze the owner’s accounts because someone at the bank “didn’t like” Williams’ son Kevin Jr. to step in to find out about her finances.
After the segment, Holmes confirmed that Williams was back in New York “where she wants to be”, but her team said she “couldn’t be in front of the camera”.
The Wendy Williams Show will end and be replaced by a show hosted by Sherri Shepherd this fall, the producer of both television programs announced last month.
“With Wendy still unable to host the show as she continues her journey to recovery, we believe our fans, radio stations and advertising partners would be better off starting this transition now,” Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Markus and said in a statement. Ira Bernstein.
“We hope to be able to work with Wendy again in the future and continue to wish her a speedy and full recovery,” the executives said.
They also expressed their “great love and closeness to Wendy” and admiration for her success.
Sherry Shepherd was one of many guest hosts to replace Williams and received high ratings during last November’s tenure.
Shepard has since been invited to host his own show in Williams’ timeslot. Pictured: Sherri Shepherd and Wendy Williams in 2014.
Shortly thereafter, Williams spokesman Howard Bragman issued a statement.
“It’s been a difficult time for Wendy as she deals with health issues,” he said.
“She is incredibly grateful to Debmar-Mercury, Sherry and everyone else who has supported the show all this time. She understands the reality of syndicated TV better than anyone else – you can’t go to the market and sell a show called Maybe The Wendy Show.
“She understands why this decision was made from a business standpoint and Debmar-Mercury assured her that if her health was such that she could host again and if she wanted to host again, she would be back on television at that time.
Shepherd was one of the many guest hosts who replaced Williams after she left at the end of season 12 last July.
Last month, Williams took to social media amid an ongoing health struggle to share a photo of her father, former headmaster Thomas Duane Williams, celebrating his 91st birthday.
Last month, the talk show host celebrated her father’s 91st birthday and posted a photo of the couple on Instagram.
The message comes just days after she posted a video in which she reassures fans that she plans to come back “stronger”.
She shared a picture of them along with the caption, “Dad’s 91st birthday! Enjoying this most relaxing way.”
It comes just days after she posted a video reassuring fans that she plans to come back “stronger”.
In the video, filmed by her son Kevin Hunter Jr., 21, Williams can be seen strolling along the beach in Miami, Florida.
She said, “It’s already 8 o’clock in the morning and I’m fine, you know? It’s very calm here.
Williams also shared her plans for the day, including several phone calls to her relatives and business associates.
“What can you say to those people who think you’re up to something?” Kevin asked, to which Williams replied, “Sorry, I’m coming back stronger.”