Wendy Williams' relatives claim they're 'denied contact' with talk show host as she turns 60 and 'express their well wishes'
- Embattled media personality turned 60 on Thursday
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As Wendy Williams celebrated her 60th birthday on Thursday, insiders say that her family hasn't been able to get a hold of her, and wish for her all the best as she reaches the milestone.
'Wendy Williams's family is unable to speak on her current condition and location due to ongoing litigation and the fact that they have largely been denied contact,' an insider told People Thursday. 'They are all rooting and praying for Wendy and want to express their well wishes as she celebrates her 60th birthday.'
Williams 'was, is and always will be an icon,' the insider said of the talk show host, who is living under a guardianship overseen by Sabrina Morrissey that was ordered by a court following a diagnosis of aphasia and frontotemporal dementia revealed earlier this year.
Relatives of Williams have past been public about the strife they say they've endured for more than two years, in the wake of Williams being put in a guardianship in 2022.
Williams' sister Wanda Finnie this past February told People that no one notified her about Williams' health issues and the treatment she was receiving.
As Wendy Williams celebrated her 60th birthday on Thursday, insiders say that her family hasn't been able to get a hold of her, and wish for her all the best as she reaches the milestone. Williams pictured last year in NYC
Williams' diagnosis of aphasia and frontotemporal dementia was revealed earlier this year
Finnie said that the most recent occasion in which she was informed about the events surrounding Williams since autumn of 2021, when Williams and her relatives visited in Florida.
'When she was in Florida, there were a number of people involved,' Finnie said. 'Even beyond family, there were doctors involved, people in Wendy's professional world that were involved.
'She had a health team in place, nurses in place and she had family in place. She was getting healthier.'
Finnie in the piece said that Morrissey is the sole person who's able to communicate with Williams on a regular basis.
'How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is healthy one minute to this person who's in and out of the hospital?' Finnie said of Williams. 'How is that system better than the system the family could put in place? I don't know.'
Finnie said that the system revolving around Williams' health and guardianship 'is broken.'
Finnie said, 'I hope that at some point, Wendy becomes strong enough where she can speak on her own behalf.'
Williams' team sent a statement to People earlier this year after her health diagnosis was announced to the public.
Williams was pictured in Atlanta in August of 2018, before the onset of her health issues
Williams was pictured on an episode of Watch What Happens Live in 2020
'I want to say I have immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis of Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD),' Williams said. 'Let me say, wow!
'Your response has been overwhelming. The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion.'
The contentiousness surrounding the situation swirling around Williams has also extended to A&E after the Lifetime docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams? was broadcast.
Morrissey said that Lifetime, which is owned by A&E, had 'shamelessly' used Williams for ratings with the series of broadcasts, painting 'her in an extremely demeaning and undignified manner.'
Where Is Wendy Williams? executive producer Mark Ford told the publication earlier this year that lawyers for Williams and her guardianship had been 'consulted and signed off on' the docuseries.
Said Ford: 'The film was signed off on by Wendy, her management, her attorneys, the guardianship. They were aware of the filming all the way through. So, we did go by the book and get all the permissions that we needed to get.
'We went into this film thinking it was one thing, and the truth turned out to be another. Once we started seeing the truth of the situation, we couldn't ignore it. And the film had to go in the direction of the truth.'
