Wendy Williams admitted to downing an entire bottle of vodka in the first part of a disturbing new documentary that saw a film crew follow the former talk show host for the best part of a year.
On Thursday, it was revealed how the 59-year-old had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia only days before the four hour Lifetime documentary aired.
But on Saturday night the formal diagnosis by doctors went some way in explaining Wiliiams’ often irrational and erratic behavior that saw her sleeping the day away in bed, before lashing out at staff and family members over the slightest transgression.
The documentary lurched from one confrontation to the next as Williams’ workers including her manager, personal assistant and driver, alongside members of her own family were verbally berated and belittled by the once popular television personality.
At times, it was all too much for Williams who would either ramble incoherently before breaking down in tears when she had a moment of self-awareness and perhaps, a moment of realization, that she may never grace American television screens in quite the same way ever again.
Either way, it is clear something is very wrong.
In one of the more shocking incidents of the documentary, which details her struggles with alcohol abuse and mental health in recent years, Williams is confronted by her manager Will Selby, who asks why she has an almost entirely empty bottle of vodka in her bedroom.
Questions She Was Asked
‘So, did you eat something, or did you have a liquid lunch? Because I came into your room, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I happen to notice one of your specialty items. Did you drink this whole thing today?’ Selby asks.
‘Yes’, Williams replies before quickly saying ‘no’.
‘I don’t know if you need this right now’, Selby continues self-assuredly.
‘I’m not drunk!’, Williams protests.
‘I never said you was drunk, but I just don’t know if this is a good idea,’ Selby continues. ‘So, you think you’re perfectly fine having as many drinks as you want?’
‘Perfectly’, Williams retorts bluntly. ‘F**k you!’
‘I’m just gonna put it downstairs to keep it cool’, Selby suggests.
‘Keep it there!’ Williams demands, ensuring she has visual sight of the alcohol.
‘I don’t know how much alcohol she consumes, but I threw the damn liquor away. And I’m just gonna be honest with you. I don’t know if it’s gonna stop her’, Selby tells the camera directly following the encounter.
‘I never feel powerless, but I do feel like I just need help because I can’t do this alone. I would be lying to you if I would think that I could conquer alcoholism alone.’
Will Williams Stop Drinking?
Williams is then asked point blank if she plans to stop drinking.
‘No’, Williams responds. ‘Will [Selby] drinks. We all drink. Why can’t I?’ she says, justifying her position.
The film shows Williams at what should have been the ideal opportunity for a career revival as she prepared to launch a podcast shortly after the cancellation of The Wendy Williams Show which ran from 2008 until 2022.
About The Film
Instead, the film serves to capture her struggles with alcohol abuse, together with her ever-increasing cognitive difficulties and sheer confusion of the world around her.
Williams appears virtually unable to answer the producers’ repetitive questions and is often reduced to tears as the topics of alcohol abuse and her financial worries keep returning.
Later in the documentary, some of Williams’ family members appeared including her nephew Travis Finnie and 23-year-old son, Kevin Hunter Jr.
Who is Managing Williams’ Finances?
In May of 2022 the New York State court system appointed an independent guardian to manage Williams’ finances.
The guardianship started when Williams’ bank Wells Fargo froze her accounts after her financial adviser at the time allegedly raised concerns that she was of ‘unsound mind,’ according to Williams’ subsequent court filings.
Wells Fargo then petitioned a New York court to have the talk show host put under a guardianship, which a judge approved later in January 2022.
At the time, the bank claimed it feared that Williams’ ‘cognitive issues’ put her at risk of being exploited financially.
What Was The Charges Against Her Son, Kelvin?
Her son, Kevin, was accused of charging $100,000 to her American Express card, but he defended himself and in the documentary clarified that he had never spent a penny without his mother’s consent.
‘Do you think your mother should have a guardian?’ the show’s producer asks Hunter Jr.
‘I think that my mother should have family. The family’s side of the story hasn’t been told, so it’s kind of left this gray space of who’s really telling the truth or what’s really going on. I’ve always wanted the best for my mom. You know, I just stay strong,’ Hunter Jr. stated.
‘No matter how many times somebody may fall down, you got to lift them back up, but I feel like that the situation that she’s in right now isn’t really the best situation for her journey of trying to heal.’
In another bizarre moment, Williams, who turns 60 in July, can be seen admiring her slim figure in a bedroom mirror.
‘Oh, my God! All I was doing was saying, oh, my God, how sexy I look. Look, a thigh gap. Look, even when I do this, you see a thigh gap? And I have tears .In a good way. I love my family.’
