Meanwhile, Wendy's niece Alex Finnie reveals in a new interview that Wendy struggled to accept that her talk show 'The Wendy Williams Show' was canceled and replaced by Sherri Shepherd's 'Sherri'.
- Feb 24, 2024
AceShowbiz - Wendy Williams has broken her silence after it's revealed that she's diagnosed with Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia. On Friday, February 23, the former host of "The Wendy Williams Show" issued a statement in which she expressed gratitude for the love and support for her.
"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 (FTD)," she shared to PEOPLE. "Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming."
The former daytime talk show queen added, "The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion. I hope that others with FTD may benefit from my story. I want to also thank the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration for their kind words of support and their extraordinary efforts to raise awareness of FTD."
Concluding her message, Wendy noted, "I continue to need personal space and peace to thrive. Please just know that your positivity and encouragement are deeply appreciated."
Meanwhile, Wendy's niece Alex Finnie revealed in a new interview that Wendy struggled to accept that her talk show "The Wendy Williams Show" was canceled and replaced by Sherri Shepherd's "Sherri". "I got serious, and I said, 'I want to really explain something to you so that you can get this,' " Alex told CNN. " 'There's no more 'Wendy Williams Show'. They decided to cancel it. After so many fabulous seasons, this curtain has come down.' "
"I remember her saying, 'What are you talking about? Of course, I have the show,' " Alex recalled. "It took a little bit of convincing and conversations with the powers that be from her show for her to really understand that the show is no more."
After the cancellation, Wendy has been staying out of the limelight despite teasing a podcast project. On Thursday, her care team announced her dementia diagnosis. According to her team, Wendy received her diagnosis last year and 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."
The announcement came a few days before "Where Is Wendy Williams?", a 2-part documentary detailing Williams' life and recent years off screen, is set to premiere on Saturday, February 24 on Lifetime.
