By Adriana Martinez, Morgan Barela, February 28, 2024
In a recent press release, television personality Wendy Williams’s press team revealed that she was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia in 2023.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, Primary Progressive Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia are neurological conditions which “leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others.” John Hopkins says that Aphasia is attributed to dementia, both of which can be caused by brain damage and alcoholism.
This news comes two years after Williams was forced to take a leave of absence from her daytime talk show, “The Wendy Williams Show”, who an
nounced that the departure would allow her to focus on battling her physical and mental health struggles.
Updates of Williams’s diagnosis were revealed on her new Lifetime four-part docuseries, “Where’s Wendy Williams?” this last Thursday. The series narrates Williams as she discusses her plans to return to the world of entertainment in the midst of her ongoing health issues, giving viewers an intimate look at her life after leaving her iconic pink studio armchair and settling into her couch back in her Florida residence.
In the second part of the docuseries, Williams’s 23-year-old son is seen attempting to speak to his mother, who was insistent on the fact that she was in Florida during her visit to California.
Williams’s son, Kevin Hunter Jr. explained that her cognitive deficiencies may be due to her struggles with alcohol addiction, citing her neurosis as “alcohol-induced dementia.”
Alex Finnie, Wendy Williams’s niece, is among several family members who tend to her health throughout the docuseries. “She’s being treated for some of her mental deficiencies, some of the cognitive issues,” says Finnie. “They’re getting to the root of the problem in terms of what causes maybe some of the drinking and other irrational decisions.”
The public has long speculated that Williams may have been suffering from cognitive difficulties — her seemingly erratic behavior is what Williams is beloved for among her audience. Aside from her idiosyncrasies, such as often mistakenly calling her guests by the wrong name and making jarring statements live on air, in 2017, Williams concerned audiences when she collapsed live on air during her Halloween special.
Williams herself has not been shy when discussing her own health struggles. On her talk show, Williams has opened up about her struggles with lymphedema and Grave’s Disease, as she has had to take several breaks from filming the show to focus on her tumultuous health.
“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. Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming,” Williams said in an interview with the Associated Press. “The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion.”
