The producers of the Lifetime documentary, “The place Is Wendy Williams” are defending its launch amidst the information that the previous speak present host was recognized with main progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
The documentary started filming in August of 2022 following the cancellation of “The Wendy Williams Present.” The movie consists of disturbing footage of Williams, together with the producers noting that there was no meals in her fridge in addition to her supervisor, jeweler Will Selby, yelling at Williams.
Williams was positioned underneath the care of guardianship legal professional Sabrina Morrisey by a courtroom order in early 2022 after a monetary adviser at Wells Fargo submitted a guardianship petition.
Morrisey unsuccessfully tried to have the documentary’s launch blocked simply earlier than it premiered on Feb. 24. “The place Is Wendy Williams?” producers Mark Ford and Erica Hanson advised The Hollywood Reporter that whereas the Lifetime film initially started filming to doc Williams’ comeback with a brand new podcast, they didn’t study of her dementia analysis till a lot later.
Ford alleges they have been advised Williams had relapsed throughout filming and was getting remedy for alcohol habit. After filming resumed, Ford claimed that Williams appeared sober and wholesome for a time. Nevertheless, over time, manufacturing grew to become “extra frightened about what would occur to Wendy if we stopped filming than if we continued” after they seen her cognitive decline.
“We simply occurred to be there daily seeing the truth of this case,” mentioned Ford. “And we simply put the digicam on it and captured it. There was no intention.” He added that after they started to appreciate one thing aside from alcohol was inflicting Williams’ points, they started asking extra questions.
“Shouldn’t there be anyone right here extra usually? Shouldn’t there be anyone filling a fridge and checking in on her each day?”
After being requested in the event that they met Morrisey, Hanson revealed that she couldn’t get ahold of Williams’ court-appointed guardian. “No, no, no. She wouldn’t take my calls.”
Hanson added, “There have been instances the place we actually felt like if we stopped, what would occur?”
Ford famous that the producers hadn’t spoken to Williams since she was positioned in a remedy facility in April 2023 following her analysis. Williams’ sister Wanda Williams agreed to be Wendy’s guardian however claims the courtroom appointed Morrisey anyway, and the household has no thought the place Williams is at the moment being handled. Nevertheless, the household says Williams does contact them and appears more healthy than she appeared within the documentary.
“I hope the folks that instituted this guardianship will watch the movie and see for themselves what Wendy’s scenario was,” mentioned Ford. “And maybe it is a cautionary story transferring ahead about the right way to forestall this from taking place to different individuals.”
“The place Is Wendy Williams?” is at the moment accessible on Lifetime.
