What Happened To Wendy Williams' Feet?
Since she disappeared from screens, fans have asked what's going on with Wendy Williams – including her feet. The daytime host was axed from TV in 2022 after 12 years on-air. Williams' talk show exit came after she was forced to take multiple breaks due to mysterious health issues that affected everything from her eyes to her feet.
It soon emerged that among the many conditions, Williams had frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Heartbreakingly, the confusion caused by the illness meant she couldn't understand that her show had been canceled, leading to multiple phone calls and meetings with show executives. Lonnie Burstein, EVP of programming at the TV syndication company Debmar-Mercury, recalled telling staff that the show was finished during a Zoom meeting with Williams. "She was saying things like, 'Oh, I can't wait, I'll be back with you really soon,' but it was obvious to anyone watching that she was not going to be back really soon," Burstein told The Hollywood Reporter.
In February 2024, the Lifetime docuseries "Where is Wendy Williams?" aired, dropping bombshell after bombshell. People finally learned the whole truth about Williams' health, and the reality was even more dire than anybody could have imagined. In addition to frontotemporal dementia and her longtime struggle with substance use disorder, the star was suffering from Graves' disease, aphasia, and lymphedema. The latter affects the lymphatic system, causing a build-up of protein-rich fluid in the body, leading to swelling (per Mayo Clinic). In Williams' case, it's her feet that have been hit the worst by the disease.
Wendy Williams' lymphedema battle
Wendy Williams appeared on TMZ Live in June 2022 to discuss her lymphedema symptoms. "Do you see this?" She asked, holding up her swollen foot. "It's up and down. I can only feel maybe five percent of my feet. Normally, I would be in a wheelchair. I'm not in a wheelchair; I stand up." Williams said her health was good, but she no longer wanted to be on TV full-time. Instead, she shared she would like to guest host on shows such as "The View."
However, Lifetime's unflinching docuseries painted a different — and utterly heartbreaking — picture. It was clear that Williams' dementia and aphasia were more advanced than people believed, and it made for difficult viewing. Her longtime friend, Charlamagne tha God, was among the many who struggled to watch.
"I don't know who she has around her that truly cares, and I was very, very shocked and surprised to see that her family was executive producers of this project," he told Page Six, continuing, "I was just like, d***. You could look at her and tell something's not right, so why would you want this out there?" The "Breakfast Club" host said it's important to remember Williams' entertainment legacy and her past life rather than solely focus on her struggles now. "She had a stellar radio career," he said. "She had a stellar fourteen-year run on TV. This is just the current chapter for Wendy Williams."
Wendy Williams' financial battle
DJ Boof, Wendy Williams' collaborator and friend, told TMZ that staff on her daytime show had no idea how sick she was. "I don't think no one knew exactly to the extent how bad it was," he said. "Like people knew something was up with her, but they didn't really know."
It's not just Williams' illness that's become a battle. There is also an ongoing fight over her finances. "I have no money, and I'm gonna tell you something. If it happens to me, it could happen to you," she claimed in "Where is Wendy Williams." Wells Fargo froze Williams' financial assets in February 2022, claiming the star was a "victim of undue influence and financial exploitation." Per The Hollywood Reporter, a court granted the institution financial guardianship of Williams in May 2022, sparking a bitter legal battle.
In addition, Williams' management team keeps a tight rein on their client. Her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., accused the group of taking advantage of his mom. "I know there are all sorts of things happening that I know in her right mind, she would never agree to," he told The U.S. Sun in June 2023. Williams' manager, Will Selby, denied the allegations. "Taking advantage of her for what? To get what? To do what? I'm not here to brag, but I was doing just okay before Wendy came along, and I insisted on helping her because she requested my assistance," he insisted in an interview with ET.