Wendy Williams in February 2020.Photo:Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Spotify
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Spotify
Wendy Williams' court-appointed guardian,Sabrina Morrissey, is calling out Lifetime parent company A&E and its docuseriesWhere Is Wendy Williams?for “shamelessly” exploiting the star amid her challenges.
Morrissey also alleges that Lifetime “incorrectly states that she is ‘broke’ and cruelly implies that her disoriented demeanor is due to substance abuse and intoxication.”
The documents further claim that Williams was “not capable of consenting” to the terms of her contract with A&E Television Networks, Lifetime’s parent company. Per Morrissey, court and guardian approval was needed for all contracts before a documentary with privately-shot footage of the talk show host could be publicly released.
Wendy Williams.Calvin Gayle
Calvin Gayle
Despite this, the lawsuit states that “no such approval was sought or provided.”
Morrissey stated that she allowed the doc to go forward with understanding that the project would not proceed without the “review and final approval of the Guardian and the court, who are responsible for [Williams'] wellbeing.” However, she claims that no permissions were sought and she was “horrified” upon viewing the contents ofthe trailerafter she was told the documentary would portray Williams in a positive light.
“It is readily apparent that the complete promised documentary would even further portray [Williams] in a humiliating and demeaning manner,” the lawsuit reads, adding that the documentary would “unconscionably” exploit the television personality’s condition and disclose her personal and private medical diagnosis for perceived “entertainment value” and “interest” of viewers.
Wendy Williams on ‘The Wendy Williams Show’.Fox
Fox
In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Thursday, Lifetime responded to Morrissey’s allegations, noting, “We look forward to the unsealing of our papers as well, as they tell a very different story.”
Filmed between August 2022 and April 2023, Lifetime’sWhere Is Wendy Williams?captureda dark period in the former host’s life as she spiraled following the cancellation of her synonymous talk show due to alcohol addiction and several health issues, includingGraves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that can cause bulging eyes, and lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling in her feet.
The docuseries premiered on the network on Feb. 24 with the second installment of episodes airing the next day.
Wendy Williams.Santiago Felipe/Getty
Santiago Felipe/Getty
Two days ahead of its release and the same day Morrissey filed the lawsuit, Williams' care team revealed the 59-year-old television personality had beendiagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
According to apress release, Williams received her diagnosis last year and her medical team said the conditions “have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life.”
“Wendy is still able to do many things for herself,” the team said in a statement. “Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed. She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way.”
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Though Morrissey claimed she was unaware of the docuseries' nature, Mark Ford, the executive producer of the documentary, told PEOPLE for last month’s cover story that “Wendy’s attorneys and the guardianship attorneys were consulted and signed off on” the project.
source: people.com
