♪♪
-Are we ready? -[crew] Yeah. Waiting on you.
All right. And away we go.
A slew of guest hosts have taken over
following Williams' ongoing health related absence.
[reporter] Speculation about her health erupted.
[Wendy] Wells Fargo has this guardianship petition
keeping me away from my of money.
I want my money. It's not fair.
The Wendy Williams Show
is coming to an end after 13 seasons.
[woman] It's a very personal and painful process
that she's going through.
[producer]
Well, I'm glad that I'm free
from The Wendy Williams Show.
So, now I can absolutely pull this down and show my boobs.
You understand what I'm saying?
-Can I show you? -[laughs] Well...
Okay.
-[laughs] -In a good way.
When she's utilizing the term "free," I just think--
I just think she means she can do what she wants.
[producer] Talking to people-- do you miss that?
People talking and you being the interviewer,
and will the podcast allow you to do that again?
Well, Will knows about podcasts.
Will I be able to actually see people?
Perfect.
My sexy...
best friend... for life. [gasps]
[crying]
I love you, you know. [sniffles]
[sobbing]
Can you--Can you please come?
-Of course. -Please.
[sobbing]
Oh, my...
-I'm crying in a good way. -In a good way.
[crying]
[Will] You have to take into consideration that
Wendy's lost a lot.
She lost her mom. She lost her show.
She got divorced. Her son went away to college.
And then on top of that,
she has physical ailments that affect her.
So, when you factor in all of those things,
one person alone probably couldn't even deal
with half of that.
Gorgeous, sexy, and fabulous. Thank you.
♪
-[photographer] Hot. Hot. Hot. -[camera shutters clicking]
♪
[Wendy] I demand. 6 years old.
That's all I wanted--the center of attention. 6 years old.
[producer] Well, you got it.
Of course, and I always will. Hmm.
-[laughter] -[camera shutter clicks]
[producer] The queen of all media.
That's who you are. How did you do that?
Even if they don't know The Wendy Williams Show,
everybody instantly falls in love with me.
-[woman 1] That's boss. -[man] That's boss.
-[woman 1] Boss Wendy. -[woman 2] She is boss lady.
[man] Yes.
[Wendy] I don't know what wealthy is.
I don't wanna be wealthy.
All I wanted to do was be famous.
[producer] Well, why can't you access your money right now?
That seems really unfair.
I have no idea.
One judge...
and three doctors say my money is still stuck at Wells Fargo.
And I'm gonna tell you something.
If it happens to me, it could happen to you.
In the meantime, I have no money.
Every other person out there
is dealing with challenges and hurdles.
She's doing the same.
This is lymphedema, and I can only feel now 2%.
Do you see what this looks like?
[sobbing]
There's no cure for this. There's no pill for this.
Oh, my God. No.
I can't do this. I can't do this.
-I have to sit down again. -Hold on.
[crying] And I should be in a wheelchair, you know?
-Whoa! -Watch your toe, watch your toe,
watch your toe. -Right there.
-There you go. -Okay.
[producer] A lot of people in the press are saying
that you still have substance abuse issues,
that there's alcoholism.
Are you sober? What's going on with that?
Well, I love Tito Puente. I love vodka.
And the problem is with Wanda.
Um, she's my sister.
[Will] You love Wanda, though.
I love Wanda, but she hates that I love alcohol.
You understand?
[producer] Why do you think Wanda
wants you to stop drinking?
I don't know.
She's going to get the help that she needs
because she's trying to make a powerful comeback.
That's what I'm here for, to make sure that
she's represented correctly and that I clean everything up,
and we see the Wendy that we've grown to love.
[producer] Well, the world wants you back.
You know, that's one thing I know.
Well, the world will have me back with podcast, correct?
-Yes. -Yep.
[Will] I know we see her on the screen.
We've seen her on TV for 15 years, 16 years.
But understand, she's a person first,
and try to be patient with her and understand that
she's going through things just like everyone else.
[producer] I think some people worry about you
and them losing you.
Do you understand how much people love you that way?
Next question, please.
[producer] What do you think
will make Wendy Williams happy in her next chapter?
[Nina Simone] ♪ People lust for fame
Thank you so much for being here today, and...
♪ And they always have a story
[gasps]
[woman] Wendy, we're cheering for you.
-We're excited for you. -On behalf of boss...
[cheers and applause]
She's back! She's back! Wendy's back, baby!
She never left. We love her. Whoo!
[cheers and applause]
♪ We always have a story
6 years old in Asbury Park.
I still can't believe... [sniffles]
that I'm the same Wendy.
♪
Wendy Williams hoping she can get her health
back to a point where she can maybe
one day be on TV once again.
I know her fans would love that.
You know, I'm really happy
that she's getting the help that she needs.
There have been rumblings for a long time
that perhaps she was struggling with addiction,
but people are really rooting for her,
and she will be back at some point.
♪♪
[indistinct conversation in distance]
[indistinct conversations continue]
[producer] Okay. Here we go. Wendy, are you happy?
Mm-hmm.
[indistinct conversations resume]
-[clatter] -[bleep]
[man] That was--That was it.
[producer] That's okay. It didn't break.
Didn't break. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
[indistinct conversations resume]
[producer] Yeah.
Okay, Wendy, describe to me how you're feeling.
Great.
Why do you want to do a documentary about your life?
Because...in my 50s, I wanted to do something else.
[producer] What's a question that you really don't like
being asked when people interview you?
Nothing. Nothing's off-limits.
[producer] So, we're gonna show you on this iPad,
um, what we filmed a few months ago.
-[Wendy] Okay. -'Cause you may not
have seen it. -Okay.
I love Wanda, but she hates that I love alcohol.
You understand?
[producer] Why do you think Wanda wants you
to stop drinking? -[Wendy] I don't know.
[producer] Well, you know.
[Wendy] I don't know.
[producer] You know.
Tears of joy.
[producer] Was there anything in that
that was hard for you to see?
[jewelry jangles]
The different wigs.
Some of the wardrobe.
♪
[man] Watch your back.
♪♪
-Over here? -Yeah.
♪♪
[Wendy] Yes. Uh, excuse me.
Uh, I'm only supposed to have one doctor,
and that's for the thyroid. -[horn honks]
The other two doctors
are because my money's stuck in Wells Fargo.
-[producer] Mm. -Yes.
[producer] So, you saw a thyroid doctor, right?
Right.
[producer] And then did you see a neurologist?
I don't--I guess so. I guess to find out if I'm crazy.
Mm-hmm.
And tomorrow I'll--I go to the psychiatrist to find out,
"How are you feeling? So, what's been happening?"
[producer] You don't like going to therapy?
[Wendy] Uh, excuse me. No.
I don't need a thera-[bleep]-pist.
For what?!
[producer] So...you went to a wellness center in California?
-Is that right? -Mm-hmm.
[producer] Tell me about that. What was that like?
A wellness center.
[producer] And why did you go to a wellness center?
I don't know.
Will and [bleep] took me there.
[Will] Why do you think we took you there?
I don't know.
So, you thought we just had nothing else for you to do?
Correct.
[producer] Will, why did you take, uh...
I-I think, honestly, Wendy needed some rest.
Wendy was going through a lot.
I can rest right here.
[Will] Well, I thought you needed a place
where you could actually focus on rest.
Sometimes here, you're not going to sleep.
You're not eating. You're not taking care of yourself.
-Please. -[Will] Please what?
This was just an assessment that we made.
You needed a break. That's it.
[producer] What, you did not like
going to the wellness center?
Stop talking, please, about that.
[producer] Oh, me or Will?
Everyone.
I'm very healthy.
[horns honking]
-Please. -Let's go.
-I'm famous. [bleep] you. -That's wonderful,
but I don't have time to wait for your ass.
-[bleep] you. -Hurry up next time.
-[bleep] you. -Welcome, Queen. Welcome.
I actually have a friend of mine who, he's been training for,
I think, about 20, 25 years,
that I think is the ideal match for Wendy.
He is concerned about your physical,
your mental, your nutrition,
and he really cares about just her overall spirit.
I don't like working out with someone.
I do it myself.
Oh. Well, maybe you would like this. Let's just see.
Would you be willing to sit with me?
How you feel? You wanna take these off?
You wanna keep 'em on? Because I kind of want--
-Put them on. -Okay.
-It's cold. -I understand.
So, I bought this stability stick for you, right?
'Cause I want you to be able to start
doing stuff like stepping up on things.
-This is pretty tall, but... -No, thank you.
-You're not going to do this?
-No, thank you. -But I want you, over time,
to be able to-- -No, thank you.
Well, you don't wanna climb the stair?
I can only feel 6% of each foot!
What movements are you willing to do?
-Things that I don't fall down! -You're not gonna fall.
This is gonna help you with stability.
Excuse me, sir!
-Yes. -Let's try something else!
-I want you to feel good. -I do.
I want you to move however you want to move.
-That feels good. -I want you to be able
to do whatever. -Push this in.
-So, this glute... -Push this in.
This butt is stronger than that side.
-Push this in! -This is stronger.
No, do it right here.
This is stronger than the other side.
-Can I pull on you a little bit? -Mm-hmm.
-That feels good. -Good.
Aah!
[exhales deeply]
Breathe. That feels really good.
-Very nice. -Oh, my God.
-Thank you... -Mm-hmm.
...for allowing me to work with you.
I need eight to 12 weeks with Wendy for a change.
And I need to see her three to four times a week
to make a change, get her active again,
to get her quality of life better again.
Let's get you in the car.
-Ooh. I'm sorry. -Stop!
All right, all right, all right, all right.
-I'm just being hospitable. -Move away!
I'm being a gentleman. Gentleman.
-I'm taking pictures on my own. -Is it--it's a photo session?
-Come. -Let's do it.
-[camera shutter clicks] -[crowd cheeering]
People love Wendy, and she loves the people.
Showtime.
[crowd cheering]
Like you said, controversial at times.
-Yep. -Can be very abrasive...
-Yep. -...and unfiltered.
She is so sort of open about who she is and her struggles.
So, they feel like they have a real relationship with her.
They're invested in her life.
And this is also a woman that was in their living room
every single day for 12 years, and before that, on the radio.
Wendy! Wendy! Wendy! Wendy!
It's crazy. I can't believe I'm doing
a Q and A on Wendy right now
with all the [bleep] that I've been through. [laughs]
♪
[DJ Boof] At a club. Mutual friend called me,
was like, "You know, would you like to come down to the show?"
And then I became the DJ on The Wendy Williams Show.
I brought nightlife to daytime television,
and I was on the set the day Wendy fainted.
Our first caress...
I thought, she gotta be acting. Like, this--this is not real.
[man] You okay?
-[thud] -[audience screams]
[DJ Boof] When I started seeing
the producers run down to aid her,
it hit me in that second, like, this is--this is for real.
Like, she was lifeless.
You didn't really see her moving.
It was scary.
♪♪
What actually happened, you know?
That was on everybody's mind.
Talk show host Wendy Williams fainted on air.
She took an extended break from her show,
citing health issues related to an autoimmune disease.
[DJ Boof] People started looking at Wendy now like,
"Why is her eyes bulging up?"
And she started addressing Graves' disease.
The Graves' disease has been a little challenging, though,
regarding, you know, sometimes you get the crazy stare.
She started addressing all her health conditions,
you know, Graves' disease, thyroid disease,
then lymphedema.
That made a lot of people
start zooming in and caring more about,
like, what's really going on with your health, Wendy?
Give me a few weeks and thank you for your concern.
[reporter] Now, would you ever have a replacement host
for the show? -How dare you?
♪
Are you taking pictures-- pictures now?
-[man] Mm-hmm. -Great.
[indistinct conversations]
[Will] Yeah. We're gonna put a microphone on you.
-[Wendy] Okay. -How you feeling? You good?
Very well.
Because I love when people come over.
-Okay. -You know?
Because you love to interact. You love to talk to people.
Yeah, but not for a long time.
Yeah, we give 'em 12 minutes, and then you throw 'em out.
Yeah, but not this. You know, I'll give them a thousand hours.
-Thousand hours? -Yes.
[laughter]
[crew] Okay. This is "A" camera Will interview.
-Take one. -Showtime.
-Showtime. [speaks indistinctly] -Can I at least...
Can I at least see the shot first, please?
I just--I just wanna make sure I look like money.
I look like somethin'? Okay.
[crew] Lookin' good.
[producer] How did you meet Wendy?
[sighs] I met--It's--It's funny you asked that question
because I've met Wendy in multiple different facets.
You know, I've met her in the New York scene.
♪
Us being out, you know, partying.
I was commissioned to do jewelry for her.
And then we just developed
a relationship and a bond from there.
It went from friendship to management,
which was after her divorce with her ex-husband.
So, um, we're gonna go over some looks
for the interview today... -Mm-hmm.
-...for the documentary. -I know what I'm gonna wear.
-Okay. So why isn't it out here? -I'm gonna rewrap some.
I don't see it.
-We're gonna show you something. -Chanel.
-All right, Wendy. -No.
-No? -No.
-You didn't even see it yet. -[Keesha] You didn't even look!
-I don't care. -All right.
-So, what about the jacket? -How about this jacket?
-No. -This jacket is amazing.
-No! -[Keesha] Okay.
[Will] You just naturally say no for everything?
-[Keesha] Yes. -I have Chanel.
-You do have Chanel. -Talk your talk.
But you wore Chanel the last time on camera.
-I could give two [bleep]. -Mm.
[Keesha] Do you wanna repeat the Chanel?
Is it new Chanel? Something we've never seen before?
So, which Chanel did you wanna wear, your Chanel sweater,
or are you talking about your Chanel jewelry?
Please... go away.
Wendy, that's rude. That's not necessary.
All right, well, we'll figure something else out, all right?
Don't worry about it. We'll figure something else out.
What--What did you wanna wear? Tell me.
-I don't care for her. -Okay, but why?
Can you explain to me why you don't care for her?
-'Cause before you liked her. -Now I--Now I don't.
[Will] Okay.
Wendy being pissed off is normal.
She doesn't really mean it, but she's a pain in the ass,
and she's very matter of fact.
She changes her mind all the time.
Like, she may like you today and not like you tomorrow.
[producer] So, you're getting your nails done today
'cause it's a big day for the documentary, right?
-Mm-hmm. -That's why. Okay. Got you.
-Are you married? -I'm not married.
Do you wanna get married?
Maybe, yes. Yeah, I think so. Yes.
-You wanna have kids? -One.
-One is done. -That's all I want.
Only one coat, please.
-You only want--Okay. -Yes, just one.
Oh, God. What are you doing?!
Uh, this just makes sure that the--the color adheres to--
-No. No, take this off. -Okay.
You said the same thing. Take that off.
Are you stupid?
[clatter]
She's disgusted with me. That's okay.
♪
Young. They'll learn.
-Can I take this off? -Yeah.
I'm fine. Thank you.
Thank you.
[producer] You know, one of the things I think
her fans are concerned about is her health.
Are you concerned at all about her mental health?
In regards to Wendy's health,
like, I'm not gonna say that I'm concerned
as if I'm worried about her.
-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you as well.
[Will] But there's some times
where Wendy's just a little bit more aggressive.
She's just a little bit more demanding.
You know, I don't know what it is.
I don't know if there's something special in her water.
At the end of the day,
she's probably one of the biggest personalities
that we've seen in quite some time.
♪
[Wendy] In the '90s, I had a great career.
I was super popular on the radio,
although I was sniffing coke.
I got high, like, five days a week.
And then Kevin came along.
Then I said, oh, maybe I could see myself marrying this man.
Well, he's not gonna put up with my mess sneaking around.
I was still getting down.
So, if I can tell you about my struggle
and then that can help you in some sort of way,
then my job is done. I'm not embarrassed.
So, why did you do cocaine?
I wanted to experience everything,
and then in my 50s... -Ah, okay.
...I wanted to retire.
So, cocaine was just an experience?
-Well, I wanted this-- -Just turned into a habit.
-I don't know. -You don't know?
No.
What--What do you think made you stop using cocaine?
-I wanted to have a baby. -Ah.
-So, I just stopped. -Okay. That was probably--
And to be sure everything was cleared, you know,
body-wise, I waited a year.
And so I forget how old I was when I finally had a baby.
But I had two miscarriages, same...
-Mm-hmm. -Same exact experience.
-Wow, that sounds like a lot... -Yes.
-...to deal with. -Yep.
At that time, I actually was doing radio.
And I dealt with it and talked about it honestly.
And then we finally had Kevin.
So, that's why my son Kevin is very...
♪
[voice breaking] ...very important to me.
♪♪
You know? [sniffles]
[sighs and sniffles]
Everyone's in Miami.
♪♪
We have a small family outside of the adults.
It's just me, Kevin, and my sister.
[crew] Marker.
[producer] Tell me about your relationship with Wendy.
Did you spend a lot of time with her as--
you were growing up as a kid?
I feel like both of us, her with her parents
and me and my parents were kind of like the...
the black sheep in the-- in the situation,
so we kind of connected on that.
But when I was in college,
I lived with her for a little while.
Every day she would get off work,
she would go into her room,
get the vape pen, the bottle of liquor,
and we wouldn't see her until 5 a.m.
the next day when it was time to go to work.
I've known Wendy for 43 years, maybe 44, we were discussing,
but I-I would talk to her,
and it would be like 9:00 in California.
And she'd be like, "Yeah, I'm waiting for Kevin to come home."
It's midnight. Where is he?
When Kevin and his mistress started going about town,
and he bought her a car,
and it started ending up in the tabloids
that they were out together and working out together
and going to the steakhouse together,
Wendy was just, like, feeling played.
[producer] Was she absolutely devastated?
She was, and it was causing her
to drink more than she usually would.
Because she would drink sometimes,
but when she was going through the tribulation with Kevin,
it definitely was to just numb out.
In 2019, the family helped put Ma in rehab
down here in Florida,
and the show wanted her up there in New York for some reason,
uh, even if it was just to receive help.
And that's when she had to step up
and kind of address her problems on TV.
Well...
for... some time now
and even today and beyond,
I have been living in a sober house.
So, that is my truth.
I just knew at that time she had a problem,
and it was deeper than what people realized.
[Regina] Wendy called me from the sober house to tell me
that Kevin and his mistress had their baby.
[Wendy] He breathes hard. [exhales deeply]
Buries his head in his hand.
I said, "What? It's 11:00 at night. Get outta here."
He said, "I have something to tell you."
I said, "What? What, your bitch had a baby"?
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Okay, it's time to divorce."
[scoffs] That was it. There-- There is no going back.
There was not even a thought. There is not
a marriage counselor that could help.
I don't care about her.
I don't care about the baby, and I don't care about him.
Bye.
I have to tell you. You--you know
I've been dealing with issues with addiction,
alcoholism, and I have a whole new life
that I plan for myself and my son.
Wendy saying the word "alcoholism" in this clip is,
um, shocking to me because she very clearly,
as always said, that has not been a, uh,
an issue to that level.
If you look at the decline of my aunt,
it happened after her divorce.
I'm not the biggest fan of my uncle, but he was making sure
she--she showed up on time, sober and ready to work.
Her doing the show is half of the battle.
Getting to the show is-- is the real battle.
[producer] Okay, here we go.
Tell me about the robe you're wearing.
My ex. This is his.
-This--The robe is your ex's? -Mm-hmm.
So, you went through a difficult divorce,
and it doesn't bother you to wear something from your ex?
No, because it wasn't difficult at all.
Women need to grow up and grow up quickly
and don't get married so quickly.
♪
Kevin's, um, infidelity had a huge impact on Wendy.
You know, um, he was the-- the protector,
you know, making sure she's doing what's right
and taking care of herself, and him not being there,
I became that person where, okay,
"Are you okay today? Drink some water."
You know, like, I became that person.
You know, Wendy has this big home
that she's living in, and it's just her there by herself.
♪
No husband. Her kid is away.
My home only has a 4-foot-tall pool,
and I walk several laps.
♪
I always felt that Wendy had,
you know, the loneliness in her life, isolation.
She just wasn't prepared
or know how to deal with this new life,
and then COVID just didn't help.
♪
[Ibrahim] 2020 was an unbelievable year.
The pandemic hit the world.
So, any program that had a live studio audience
had to completely rethink their approach.
Major talk programs made at-home studios.
[scoffs] Yeah, I didn't see ha-- Whew-hoo, man.
-Oof! -Okay.
Mm.
Pandemic was no joke.
I was there.
I was the DJ,
AKA the cameraman, AKA the lighting man.
I was that guy.
Wendy didn't want no one at her house at all... but me.
So, I was standing behind a computer,
holding up cue cards behind to,
you know, making sure she stays on point.
Okay, what else is going on?
[clenching teeth] Read the card. Read the card!
Okay, so over at Vanderpump Rules,
who was that? Who--
Um, Scheana Shay.
And she's making... She's looking really bad.
Am I correct?
You can see she was tired. You can see delayed.
Um, you--she was processing things,
taking her time to answer-- you--you--
There were times she showed no emotion.
She showed, you know, like,
drifting off where, you know, she just wasn't interested.
And I'm like, this is not COVID doing this.
Is it the lymphedema? Thyroid? The failed marriage?
It could be the damage of using alcohol for so long.
You know, wear and tear.
Yeah, I worried about that.
So, I was always calling, checking on her,
driving up unannounced, like, "Hey, I'm downstairs."
I got to see, uh, her lows, the lowest of lows.
She had to go to the hospital.
That was probably the lowest time, yeah.
[producer] What can you tell me about that?
Just, um...
she needed help.
No.
I can't really answer that.
♪
DJ Boof was there, and he called us crying,
saying that she's going to die, and she needs help.
We called Kevin, who, at the time,
was her medical proxy.
He called the ambulance. The ambulance came.
My auntie had three blood transfusions.
And that's the only reason she's alive today.
Well, alco--alcohol.
I mean, from what DJ Boof says,
it's a combination of them just letting her sit in the bed
and drink liquor and then thinking...
she's gonna be ready to go.
Yeah. Yeah, and--and DJ Boof.
I went to the hospital to go check on her.
-She wasn't... -[snaps fingers]
...on point. She wasn't as sharp.
So, I was like, "What's really going on with you?
Like, you know, are you okay? Is it medication?"
It's like, all right, "Do you remember who I am?"
You know, like...
You know, these are all questions that I had.
-[producer] Really? -Yeah. At that time, yeah.
I just felt like she just wasn't the same person anymore.
♪
Me seeing Wendy's health,
I felt like I couldn't be a part of this new person.
Because what we had from season one to that point,
um, it wasn't the same no more.
In 2020, Wendy came back,
and she interviewed Barbara Corcoran, right?
But then it quickly goes off the rails.
Alls I'm saying is I wanna whisper in your ear
behind the scenes.
Ah.
Just saying. Well, I have cats!
I love them, and they--they need stuff.
And I've noticed stuff about them during this pandemic
that maybe cats need stuff.
She can't really maintain a thorough line of conversation,
nor can she even stay focused.
[crew] Alex interview take one. Marker.
I've known my aunt for 32 years. She's always been a champion,
and she still is, but it's-- it's different now.
It's different.
The person that we see right now is a departure
from who she had been over the last 15, 20 years.
My grandmother and I were sitting on my couch
watching the show.
I am tired of trying to remember days
that match to days of the month and week and the year.
She said to me, "I look in my daughter's eyes,
and I know if my daughter is happy,
and I know if she's well,
and I just don't know if everything is
really well right now.
Her eyes have dimmed a bit."
She said, "Whatever you do,
always protect and have your aunt's back."
When I heard my grandmother say that,
I was like, okay, a mother knows her daughter.
And it was the last conversation I had with her
before she passed away.
My aunt and my grandmother had a relationship unlike any other.
I mean, they would fall asleep sometimes on the phone together.
I know my aunt talked about it one day on her show.
My mom passed away.
Gone is the best mother, the best girlfriend...
[voice breaking] that a girl could ever have.
Um, Shirley--Shirl was the girl.
Like, Shirley was her right-hand woman,
and so she was grieving, and--
but she wasn't allowed to because she's talent, you know?
You know talent can't have a bad day,
so she had to suck it up.
In 2021, Wendy gives her last appearance.
Have a wonderful weekend and a wonderful summer,
and I'll see you next time on Wendy. Bye-bye.
[cheering]
And there were a lot of questions
that started to kind of start to arise
around what's going on here,
like the allegations of her being taken
for psychiatric care.
Heading into that 13th season,
the heads of the production company, Debmar-Mercury,
were being told she's in the hospital.
She's under doctor's care.
She's having brain fog, hallucinations, memory loss.
And the producers of the show sort of huddled
and said, "All right, we've got to bring on guest hosts."
♪
[Travis] Me and Kevin--we went up to New York to see her
for a little bit, and she was just in very bad shape.
Then we found out she had been in the hospital,
and we realized that she was in bad shape
to the point where she was dying.
So, we proceeded to pack her stuff and then
brought her down here to Florida.
♪♪
Hey, Mom, how's your morning going?
Um, it's just after 8:00 in the morning,
and, uh, I'm doing okay, you know?
Beautiful sky.
It's very peaceful being here, you know?
Yeah, this is a break from New York.
You say prayers and think about me?
Really? Well, thank you.
Thank you.
When she was down here, she got a lot better.
Kevin spent almost every day, all day with his mom.
She was vegan the whole time.
Uh, she had a personal trainer, and she was completely sober.
She could speak more clearly.
She could remember what you were speaking about 20 seconds prior.
We just made sure that she lived a healthy life.
[Rose] At The Wendy Williams Show,
there was a swirl of questions like, "Well, where is she?
What's happening? Is she coming back?
Is she not coming back?"
Her phone is sort of ringing and ringing and ringing.
And at a certain point, I think some of them
are wondering, like, did she even have her phone?
I didn't have contact with her
for a significant amount of time,
and I knew it was out of the ordinary
because we talk all the time.
I thought that her family took her phone.
♪
By, you know, February of 2022,
one person described it to me as like,
well, we--we can't sit here and ask, "What if?"
We can't sort of renew The Maybe Wendy Williams Show.
This version of this show has to end.
My aunt did not know she was not going back to the show.
She came over to my home one day,
and this was when the news broke--that day.
And I said to her,
"Hey, Aunt Wendy, come in. Let's sit down."
"The show is no more. The show's done.
It's now Sherri who is in your time slot.
The Wendy Williams Show as you know it,
is--it's done."
And so I was the one that told her that,
and she had--she did not know.
She didn't believe it. She was still going out saying,
"I'm getting ready for a new season."
And then it took a little bit of time, weeks, months,
to really understand where things really stood.
That's-- That's how that played out.
[man] Are you sad about the show being canceled?
Any plans for a new show?
[Wendy] Wendy is doing fabulous.
-[man] She's doing fabulous? -[Wendy] Yep.
[man] Any more words for the fans?
[Wendy] Um... lots more Wendy stuff.
-[man] That's good to hear. -[Wendy] Bye-bye!
[man] Love it. Thank you. Thanks, Wendy.
♪
Yes. My son Kevin.
[producer] So what's the tension between you and Kevin?
Nothing, except for he hates liquor.
[producer] Oh.
Mm-hmm.
[producer] When do you drink? When do you like to drink?
When I want to.
[producer] Probably cares about you.
What do you miss the most about Kevin? Do you laugh a lot?
We have the best time.
The best time.
And I can't wait for...
-[voice breaking] Anyway. -[producer] Can't wait for what?
-To see him? -Mm-hmm.
When I die, everything is for him.
[crew] Kevin interview, take one. Marker.
[Kevin] Well, I've never been someone who's been on camera,
so being in this has never been my thing.
Um, but I feel like the whole idea
of what this is supposed to be about,
it's supposed to be about her getting better.
Um, that's why I wanted to participate in it.
[producer] When was the last time you saw her?
About eight months ago, I think.
[producer] She was in Florida with all of you.
Yeah. She wanted to be closer to family,
and we felt as though that her being close to the family
would be a huge help
and may--maybe make her feel as though she's worth more
than just, um, than just being a talk show host.
I felt like my mother has never needed TV or a platform
to be special, um, but I think she may feel otherwise.
[producer] Why did she go back to New York?
Um... the court case happened.
She was brought back to New York and put in front of a judge
with--and given a guardian.
That was when they took her away from us.
As of right now, Kevin's completely financially,
uh, cut off.
♪
[producer] Do you think your mother should have a guardian?
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.
You know, I just understand, like, nobody's perfect.
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.
♪♪
[Wendy] 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.
[crying]
...in a good way. I love my family.
[producer] So, do you support your son right now?
'Cause you got him an apartment, right, in Miami?
First of all, asking, "Do I support"...
-Yeah. -...is the wrong word.
-Okay, tell me. -Who the [bleep] are you?
Exactly, but you want him to-- you want him to have--
-Go--Go out, please. -Okay.
-Because I'm done with you. -Okay.
-Okay.
My son, financially, and-- and also health-wise,
is the best.
-I didn't mean to upset you. -Leave me a--
-I'll leave you alone. -Go away. Go away.
-Okay. -Go away.
[crying]
[gasps] This is my third time crying.
[continues crying]
And I cried the other day, and I'm not a crier.
I've got so much money.
[continues crying]
♪
I want it for my son.
[continues crying]
Mwah.
[breathing heavily]
Oh, my God. Something's boiling down.
♪
My life, my life, my life, my life.
-[man] Love you, Wendy. -All I know is how to be famous.
I really wanna be back on television.
-You gonna be back on TV. -Yep.
-That's easy. -[Kevin] My mom has done
a great job making it seem like everything is okay...
Hi.
...but in reality, there's something wrong.
Did you drink this whole thing today?
-Keep it there. -Okay.
Keep it there.
There have been random people around you getting money,
getting paid, whatever the case may be.
Stealing money from me.
I have no idea where we are.
I think she's losing memory.
[Wanda] Anybody could look at her and tell
this is not just alcohol. There's something more going on.
[crying]
I miss my family. [crying]
Why are you crying?
It's great that...
[Wanda] We all make choices in life.
We all go through our challenges.
She's still a person.
-How you doin'? -How you doin'?
[Wanda] That's my sister.
You are better than this. You are smarter than this.
-You are stronger than this. -I understand, Alex.
[Wanda] No, I don't know the exact location.
[Kevin] I feel like the guardian has not done
a good job of protecting my mom.
-I have no friends. -Yes. You know a lot of people.
You know how many people love you?
[Wanda] We are her family,
and you tell me that I'm not capable
of taking care of my sister.
What would you do? What should I do?
[Kevin] I just want the best for her, and it just looks like
we're heading down the same path of self-sabotage.