Wendy Williams’ Family Opens Up About Her Battle with Alcoholism and Its Impact

The family of Wendy Williams, the renowned talk show host, has publicly addressed her struggles with alcoholism, which they believe significantly contributed to her recent troubles. In a candid interview with People magazine, Williams’ niece, Alex Finnie, expressed the family’s concern and heartbreak over the visible decline in Wendy’s health, which has been evident in various images circulated over the past few years. The situation has been both shocking and deeply upsetting for the family to witness.

Alex Finnie is set to join Wendy Williams, who is 59 years old, and other relatives in an upcoming Lifetime documentary titled “Where Is Wendy Williams?”. This documentary aims to shed light on how Williams’ battles with substance abuse ultimately led to her being placed under the guardianship of a court-appointed guardian, as reported by Page Six.

Will Selby, Wendy Williams’ manager, disclosed in the documentary that the “How You Doin’?” host was admitted to a treatment facility in April 2023 to address “cognitive issues” that arose from her alcohol abuse. Disturbingly, she has remained in the facility since then, isolated from her family and friends. Wendy’s sister, Wanda, and Alex Finnie’s mother expressed their frustration and disbelief at the situation, questioning how things reached this point.

The documentary also features insights from Wendy’s longtime driver, who has observed troubling signs of memory loss in Wendy, indicating that she sometimes fails to recognize him and forgets about recent activities. Despite Wendy Williams not having made public appearances in over 200 days, she alleges in the documentary that her guardian has misappropriated her funds.

Additionally, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., has faced criticism for allegedly taking advantage of her financially, although he insists that he has never taken money without her consent. Kevin Jr. chose not to comment on the story reported by People, but Wanda mentioned that he still receives financial support from his mother.

Wells Fargo, the bank where Wendy Williams holds her accounts, has not responded to requests for comment on the matter. Wendy Williams has had a history of entering and exiting rehab facilities. However, there was a period in 2022 when her health seemed to improve while she was staying in Miami with her son. During this time, Kevin Jr. encouraged her to abstain from alcohol and adopt a vegan diet, which appeared to have a positive impact on her well-being.

Despite the showrunners’ desire for Wendy to return to New York to continue filming her show, Kevin Jr. prioritized his mother’s health over her career commitments. Unfortunately, the production of “The Wendy Williams Show” was terminated in June 2022. A source from the production team shared that Wendy was passionate about her show and that losing it was devastating for her. Following the cancellation of her show, Wendy announced plans to launch a podcast. However, the project did not materialize as her health issues worsened, leaving her unable to pursue new ventures.

This article originally appeared on Page Six and was reproduced with permission.