Ever since she stepped down from her hit daytime talk show, Wendy Williams has been keeping a low profile amid a barrage of health issues.
In 2022, Williams was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, neurological disorders similar to the diagnosis received by actor Bruce Willis.
In addition, she’d also been struggling with Graves’ disease and lympedema. She is currently residing in a specialized care facility, with her affairs now handled via a court-appointed legal and financial guardianship.
‘I Want Out’
On Friday, August 21, Page Six reported that the one-time “Dancing With the Stars” competitor was seen walking on the streets of Manhattan — the first time she’s been spotted in public since February 2026.
In video obtained by the outlet, she and a companion can be seen entering a store. They’re accosted by a papparazo, armed with a video camera, who asked her what she could share with her fans about what she is going through.
Williams offered a pointed retort indicating she was still unhappy about her guardianship.
“I want out!” she said.
Guardianship Drama
Following Williams’ diagnosis, in May 2022 Wells Fargo voiced concerns about Williams’ competence to handle her own affairs. That led to a New York Supreme Court judge determining she was an “incapacitated person” who required a “temporary guardian” to ensure her “affairs are being properly handled.”
That resulted in Williams being placed in a guardianship later that same month, with attorney Sabrina E. Morrissey appointed her legal guardian.
Williams was adamantly opposed to being placed in a guardianship. Interviewed by “Good Morning America” at the time, she said, “They say that I need somebody to handle my accounts, and I don’t want that. I want all my money.”
Medical Maladies
While Williams has been open about her struggles with Graves’ disease — an autoimmune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism — her subsequent diagnosis proved to be life-changing for her.
In February 2022, Williams’s care team announced that she had also been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and FTD, the acronym for frontotemporal dementia.
In a statement issued by her team, those conditions had progressed to the point that they had “presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life,” impacting her cognitive functions in addition to her ability to communicate.
“Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy’s ability to process information, and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions,” the statement shared, as reported by InStyle.
“The decision to share this news was difficult and made after careful consideration, not only to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, but to raise awareness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of others facing similar circumstances,” the statement continued.
After being placed in guardianship due to the judge’s concerns she could be the “victim of undue influence and financial exploitation,” per The Hollywood Reporter, she entered an assisted living facility.
Williams is not a fan of her living arrangeement. In a January 2025 interview with “The Breakfast Club,” she described the facility as a “luxury prison.”
