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Wendy Williams Breaks Her Silence About Her Dementia Diagnosis: ‘Response Has Been Overwhelming’
One day after her team revealed her diagnosis with primary progressive aphasia and dementia, Wendy Williams has broken her silence on the matter.
“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). Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming,” the former talk show host, 59, wrote in a Friday, February 23, statement. “The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion.”
The Wendy Williams Show host carried on in the statement, advocating for those whose stories and experiences with FTD have gone unnoticed.
“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,” Wendy concluded.
Fans no doubt are happy to hear from Wendy, who has remained largely out of the public eye amid ongoing health issues. Her swift departure from The Wendy Williams Show in 2021 – to be replaced by guest hosts and later Sherri Shepherd – came as a surprise, and the show came to a complete end in 2022. The following year, Wendy was given the news about her diagnosis.
“On behalf of Wendy Williams Hunter, her care team is sharing this very personal update with her cherished fans, friends, and supporters to correct inaccurate and hurtful rumors about her health,” the initial statement regarding Wendy’s health read, released on Thursday, February 22. “As Wendy’s fans are aware, in the past she has been open with the public about her medical struggles with Graves’ Disease and Lymphedema as well as other significant challenges related to her health.”
The statement confirmed that Wendy did in fact receive the news of her primary progressive aphasia and dementia diagnosis last year. It continued, “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. Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires.”
Wendy’s team, along with her family members, maintained that the former host is still able to “do many things for herself,” and has maintained “her trademark sense of humor.” She is said to be “receiving the care she requires” at a wellness facility that specializes in cognitive treatment as of February.
“I spoke with her yesterday and I speak with her very regularly when she reaches out to me,” Wendy’s sister, Wanda Finnie, told People on Wednesday, February 21. “She is, from what I understand, in a wellness, healing type of environment.”
The news of Wendy’s diagnosis has come on the heels of her Lifetime documentary series, Where Is Wendy Williams?, which is set to shed light on the realities of her life, what happened to her millions and what her unfiltered experiences have looked like.
Where Is Wendy Williams? will drop over two night, February 24 and February 25 at 8 p.m. ET.
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