Wendy Williams’ son says she’s affected by alcohol-induced dementia

Wendy Williams‘ son confirmed that his mom is struggling from alcohol-induced dementia for the very first time throughout Sunday evening’s Lifetime documentary ‘Where is Wendy Williams?’

Kevin Hunter Jr., 23, revealed docs have informed him that alcohol had begun to have an effect on ‘her headspace and her mind.’

‘I used to be capable of actually be taught extra about issues happening with my mom internally. They mainly mentioned that as a result of she was consuming a lot, it was beginning to have an effect on her headspace and her mind. So, I feel they mentioned it was alcohol-induced dementia.’

The analysis by docs goes a way in explaining Williams’ typically unsociable and erratic habits which, within the intrusive new documentary, has showcased her burping, sleeping the day away in mattress with bottles of alcohol by her facet and lashing out at over the slightest transgressions. 

Williams was first informed of her alcohol-related mind injury analysis years earlier in 2019 throughout her time at a rehab heart in Delray Beach though her care workforce have mentioned her’ dementia analysis solely occurred in 2023.

Williams’ niece Alex Finnie additionally revealed she was informed of her aunts analysis in fall 2022. 

‘All I do know is that it was dementia. You look again at little issues, and it is a sluggish roll. It’s little issues like, “When’s your birthday again?’ You know? ‘What’s his name again?” -But after seeing my aunt and actually spending time together with her in a state the place she’s in proper now, I rapidly realized that issues have been simply not regular. It’s heartbreaking.

‘When it is come to my aunt’s dementia, there are three issues that did not assist her: divorce, the pandemic after which dropping my grandmother,’ Alex explains. 

In one of many extra surprising incidents of the documentary, which particulars her struggles with alcohol abuse and psychological well being lately, Williams may very well be eating out together with her publicist Shawn Zanotti.

Eating at a restaurant overlooking Los Angeles, Williams may very well be seen consuming a number of glasses of vodka together with her lunch, earlier than brazenly burping out loud, on digicam. 

Following her lunch, Williams and Zanotti head to Universal Studios in Los Angeles to pitch a brand new speak present as a part of the star’s ‘bounce again’.

NBC Universal declined to touch upon her assembly with the producers. 

Williams seemingly loses all sense of the place she is as she may be heard stressing how she would not need the present to be filmed ‘right here in Miami’ – regardless of her being in LA. 

When requested by producers if there was any concern over the quantity of alcohol she was consuming, Zanotti replies: ‘Wendy is aware of her limits.’ 

Other members of the family would beg to vary together with her son and nephew Travis Finnie who brazenly declare Williams ‘has a consuming drawback.’

The devastating analysis was made public in direction of the top of final week, days earlier than the airing of the four-and-a-half hour documentary.

‘As Wendy’s followers are conscious, up to now she has been open with the general public about her medical struggles with Graves’ Disease and Lymphedema in addition to different important challenges associated to her well being,’ her workforce mentioned in an announcement.

‘The determination to share this information was troublesome and made after cautious consideration, not solely to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, however to boost consciousness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and assist the hundreds of others going through related circumstances.

‘Receiving a analysis has enabled Wendy to obtain the medical care she requires.’

Frontotemporal dementia is a uncommon illness that impacts components of the mind controlling habits and language. These components of the mind shrink because the illness will get worse. 

The illness typically consists of main progressive aphasia, which implies it is inflicting issues with language abilities. An individual with this sort of FTD could have hassle discovering phrases or understanding speech.

Williams’ self-titled daytime speak present led to 2022 due to her well being points. Sherri Shepherd, who stuffed in for Williams as a visitor host, obtained her personal present.

Williams mentioned in 2018 that she had been recognized years earlier than with Graves’ illness, which results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones and might trigger wide-ranging signs that may have an effect on general well being. 

During Sunday evening’s documentary members of the family revealed how they do not know the place she is and can’t name her themselves, however that she will name them if she needs.

‘I do not know the precise location of the place she is, however I do know that she is in an setting that’s serving to her to heal, emotionally, psychologically and bodily,’ Wanda mentioned when requested by the producers. ‘That’s what I hope occurs when she will get dwelling. 

‘Wendy’s in a extra optimistic place and in a stronger place than she was a 12 months in the past,’ Wanda explains. ‘It’s virtually like I’m speaking to Wendy from years in the past. It actually is.’ 

‘It has been an extended journey when it comes to the expertise for our household and for Wendy,’ Wanda Williams, Wendy’s sister says within the documentary.

‘I hope to come back out of this letting individuals see the love that now we have as a household collectively for one another in addition to the love now we have for Wendy, and to know the journey we have been by that has not all the time been good. Everyone needed the identical factor, which is to see Wendy wholesome and pleased.’ 

Wanda may very well be seen serving to members of the family of their try o take again possession of Williams’ care from her court-appointed guardian. 

‘When the entire course of began, all members of this household have been contacted about Wendy and what we wanted for her. My feeling as her sister was that Wendy must have any individual together with her 24 hours a day for the following few months,’ Wanda detailed.

‘I used to be informed that it concerned taking some sort of class, and I mentioned, ‘Yeah I’ll do it.’ I mentioned, ‘Whatever I gotta do, I’ll be targeted on Wendy’s well being.’ And then unexpectedly, the wall got here down and there was nothing.’

Family members share their issues over who has entry to Williams and the presumably intentions of these round her.

‘I nonetheless see glimpses of my mother fairly often. She nonetheless has an opportunity to stay an excellent and wholesome life, however she must need to stay that. I feel that she’s simply weak and weak and she or he must be round individuals who aren’t gonna benefit from that,’ son, Kevin mentioned. 

‘I feel that my mom ought to have household surrounding her. I’ve talked to her rather a lot about her staying in Florida and the way a lot it will profit her the place she will’t hurt herself.’

I feel at the back of her thoughts, she is aware of she would be capable of nonetheless drink up there and do issues that she should not. I really feel like my mother ought to by no means be by herself or alone.

Even earlier than Williams was  positioned beneath a court-ordered guardianship, her rights and people of her household started to be stripped away from them.

‘My energy of lawyer was taken away from me when the courtroom continuing began,’ Kevin defined. ‘And then they tried to say that whereas the courtroom case was happening that if we needed to carry her to Florida, it would be thought of kidnapping.’

The documentary crew set out in 2022 to chronicle Williams’ comeback however have been pressured to cease filming in April 2023 when, her supervisor ‘and jeweler’ Will Selby defined how she needed to enter a facility to deal with ‘cognitive points.’ 

Her son, Kevin, says within the documentary that docs had linked her cognitive points on to her extreme alcohol use.

In May of 2022 the New York State courtroom system appointed an unbiased guardian to handle Williams’ funds.

The guardianship began when Williams’ financial institution Wells Fargo froze her accounts after her monetary adviser on the time allegedly raised issues that she was of ‘unsound thoughts,’ in keeping with Williams’ subsequent courtroom filings.

Wells Fargo then petitioned a New York courtroom to have the speak present host put beneath a guardianship, which a choose authorised later in January 2022.

At the time, the financial institution claimed it feared that Williams’ ‘cognitive points’ put her liable to being exploited financially.

Her son, Kevin, was accused of charging $100,000 to her American Express card, however he defended himself and within the documentary clarified that he had by no means spent a penny with out his mom’s consent.

‘Do you assume your mom ought to have a guardian?’ the present’s producer asks Hunter Jr.

‘I feel that my mom ought to have household. The household’s facet of the story hasn’t been informed, so it is sort of left this grey area of who’s actually telling the reality or what’s actually happening. I’ve all the time needed one of the best for my mother. You know, I simply keep robust,’ Hunter Jr. acknowledged.