Current:Home > ContactWendy Williams' guardian files lawsuit against Lifetime's parent company ahead of documentary -Infinite Edge Learning
Wendy Williams' guardian files lawsuit against Lifetime's parent company ahead of documentary
View
Date:2025-04-17 16:30:01
Wendy Williams' temporary guardian has filed a lawsuit against A&E Television Networks, the parent company of Lifetime, which is set to release a staggering documentary about the former television host this weekend.
Sabrina Morrissey filed a lawsuit under seal against the network in New York County Supreme Court Thursday, USA TODAY has confirmed. The case says Morrissey is "acting in her capacity as Temporary Guardian of W.W.H." with the initials presumably for Wendy Williams Hunter, the 59-year-old host's legal name from her marriage to ex-husband Kevin Hunter.
The lawsuit also names Entertainment One Reality Productions, the documentary's producer, as a defendant.
USA TODAY has reached out to Morrissey's attorney and representatives for A&E and Williams for comment.
Morrissey is suing for injunction relief and a temporary restraining order, both measures that can be used to keep a party from doing a certain action.
Lifetime is set to release the two-part Lifetime documentary "Where is Wendy Williams?" which traces Williams' abrupt exit from public life, Saturday and Sunday. The network previously aired a biopic about the talk show host's life, "Wendy Williams: The Movie," and a documentary, "Wendy Williams: What a Mess," both in 2021.
The documentary trailer teases harrowing behind-the-scenes footage of Williams struggling with her health, as well as candid new interviews with her, marking a rare public appearance for the former talk show host. At one point, she clutches a pillow as she begins to cry.
"I have no money," Williams says. "I'm going to tell you something. If it happens to me, it could happen to you."
In 2022, Williams was placed under a financial guardianship. Wells Fargo argued at the time that she was an "incapacitated person," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Wendy Williams documentary to air after lawsuit, dementia diagnosis
According to Lifetime, cameras have been chronicling Williams' efforts to "reclaim her life and legacy" for almost two years.
"The documentary provides a raw, honest and unfiltered reality of Wendy's life after she was placed under financial guardianship, shedding light on the vulnerabilities that has turned Wendy into the Hot Topic herself," the network said. "Suffering mental and physical issues, Wendy's delicate state of mind, erratic behavior and declining health were all captured by the cameras."
Last year, Williams was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, according to a Thursday press release from her representatives.
"Wendy would not have received confirmation of these diagnoses were it not for the diligence of her current care team, who she chose, and the extraordinary work of the specialists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires," the press release said.
Talk show host Wendy Williamsdiagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia
Wendy Williams' documentary comes after abrupt talk show end in 2022
In March 2019, Williams announced she was living in a sober house. Then, a month later, Williams filed for divorce after 21 years of marriage to Hunter, a co-executive producer of Williams' long-running daytime talk show "The Wendy Williams Show" also known as "Wendy." The talk show host and Hunter share one adult child, Kevin Hunter Jr.
Two years later, in fall 2021, "Wendy" experienced several production delays. A rotating slate of guest hosts stepped in to help host the show including Leah Remini, comedian Michael Rapaport and former co-host of "The View" Sherri Shepherd. "Wendy" was canceled in 2022 after Williams took medical leave during a battle with the autoimmune disorder Graves' disease.
Later, the production company behind "Wendy" replaced the program with "Sherri" featuring Shepherd in the same timeslot in September 2022.
When does the Wendy Williams documentary air? How to watch 'Where is Wendy Williams?'
"Where is Wendy Williams?" will air on Lifetime on Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT. On Friday, the network will air Wendy’s biopic, "Wendy Williams: The Movie" and her documentary, "Wendy Williams: What a Mess."
Contributing: Jay Stahl and Brendan Marrow
veryGood! (331)
Related
- Average rate on 30
- Hundreds of thousands still in the dark three days after violent storm rakes Brazil’s biggest city
- Horoscopes Today, November 6, 2023
- Charlie Adelson found guilty in 2014 murder-for-hire killing of Dan Markel
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Colorado is deciding if homeowner tax relief can come out of a refund that’s one-of-a-kind in the US
- Special counsel in Hunter Biden case to testify before lawmakers in ‘unprecedented step’
- Australia’s Albanese calls for free and unimpeded trade with China on his visit to Beijing
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Senate Republicans outline border security measures they want as a condition for aiding Ukraine
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Ex-college football staffer shared docs with Michigan, showing a Big Ten team had Wolverines’ signs
- Body cam video shows girl rescued from compartment hidden in Arkansas home's closet
- Michigan State men's basketball upset at home by James Madison in season opener
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Alabama playoff-bound? Now or never for Penn State? Week 10 college football overreactions
- Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker welcome baby. Let the attachment parenting begin.
- NFL Week 9 winners, losers: Bills' bravado backfires as slide continues
Recommendation
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
New Mexico St lawsuit alleges guns were often present in locker room
Following these 8 steps for heart health may slow biological aging by 6 years, research shows
The Supreme Court takes up a case that again tests the limits of gun rights
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
Dawn Staley gets love from Deion Sanders as South Carolina women's basketball plays in Paris
8 simple things you can do to protect yourself from getting scammed
Man, 23, arrested in slaying of grandmother found decapitated in California home