Wendy Williams’ court battle with Wells Fargo has led to her finally speaking out publicly on her health. In a statement through her attorney, Williams denied allegations from the bank that she is an “incapacitated person” who needs a guardianship. The back-and-forth between Williams and the bank started earlier this month when her attorneys accused Wells Fargo of freezing The Wendy Williams Show host’s accounts.
“Wendy wants the world to know that she strenuously denies all allegations about her mental health and well-being,” Williams’ lawyer, LaShawn Thomas, told Page Six in a statement Monday. Thomas said Williams is using “holistic health professionals to help her reach optimal health” while she is treated for Graves’ disease and “thyroid concerns.” Williams is doing “fine” and is “of sound mind,” Thomas said, denying the claims her former financial advisor Lori Schiller made that inspired Wells Fargo to block Williams’ access to her funds.
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“[Williams is] disappointed about falsely circulated statements from an industry she has devoted her life to,” Thomas told Page Six, adding that the talk show host is “grateful” for the support from her fans and is excited to get back to television. “She thanks everyone who has been patiently awaiting her return and believes that, thanks in large part to the love and support of her son, her family, her new team of doctors and a change of scenery, she is on the mend,” Thomas said. “Wendy says to all her fans, ‘How you doing?’”
The situation with Wells Fargo began when Williams’ legal team asked the court to demand Wells Fargo unfreeze her accounts. In his response, Wells Fargo attorney David H. Pinkus claimed Williams was an “incapacitated person” who needed guardianship. They cited Schiller, who allegedly told Wells Fargo she saw “signs of exploitation” and Williams “expressed apprehensions” herself. Other “independent third parties who know [Williams] well” also shared these concerns, Pinkus wrote.
Attorney Celeste N. McCaw, who is also representing Williams in the case, filed another response, accusing Wells Fargo of denying Williams access to “accounts, assets, and statements” for the past two weeks. McCaw claimed Schiller’s statements were Wells Fargo’s only justification and said Schiller was fired because of alleged “malfeasance.” However, she did admit that Williams still asks Schiller for advisement. McCaw denied Williams was the victim of “undue influence and financial exploitation” and asked New York Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth to grant a temporary restraining order to keep Wells Fargo from continuing to freeze Williams’ account. Bluth has yet to decide on the restraining order, reports Page Six.
“She is saddened that she once considered [Schiller] a friend,” Thomas told Page Six Monday. “Wendy can’t believe that Wells Fargo has wrongly denied her access to her funds without justification. She has spoken to several bank representatives and has even gone into a local branch and discussed this issue with bank managers, as clear evidence that there are no concerns about her state of mind.”
Wells Fargo previously denied any wrongdoing in a statement last week. “We deny any allegations of improper actions with respect to Ms. Williams‘ accounts and are fully participating in a court process to reach a resolution that is in her best interest,” the bank said.
Williams has not hosted an episode of The Wendy Williams Show since July 2021. Former The View co-host Sheri Shepherd began her first week as the “permanent guest” host for the show on Monday. It’s rumored that the title could be changed while Williams is missing.ย