Wendy Williams Spotted Publicly in Wheelchair Amid Hospitalization Recovery

Although photos of Wendy Williams looking frail and using a wheelchair surfaced during the week, sources close to Williams said she is "on the mend" and doing better. The launch of The Wendy Williams Show Season 13 has been rocky, as Williams' team first announced she could not do promotional interviews, then the premiere was delayed until October after Williams tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19. The 57-year-old star was also hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation on Sept. 14.

Earlier this week, The Sun published photos of Williams being pushed in a wheelchair by an assistant. The photos also appeared to show a bruise on one of Williams' legs. She also needed assistance getting in and out of her SUV. The Daily Mail published different photos taken when Williams visited a Verizon store in Manhattan.

Despite the concerning photos, a source told Page Six that executives believe Williams will be back to work in time for her show's premiere in October. "Wendy is on the mend, and doing well," the source said on Sept. 23. "There was a meeting this week, and [execs] assured staff the show will return on Oct. 4, and Wendy is ready to get back to work."

The Wendy Williams Show Season 13 was supposed to start on Monday, Sept. 20, but concerns that the show would be delayed arose on Sept. 9 when Williams' team announced she could not do promotional work that week. "Wendy is dealing with some ongoing health issues and is undergoing further evaluations," her team said at the time, without providing further details. Then on Sept. 15, her team announced she tested positive for COVID-19 and The Wendy Williams Show premiere would be postponed until Oct. 4. Sources close to Williams told TMZ on Sept. 17 she was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation on Sept. 14 but said she is not showing COVID symptoms.

"It has been a very difficult time for Wendy. She's a single woman with very few friends. She lost her marriage, her mom, and is living alone," a source told Page Six last week. "There is a lot on her plate." Another insider told The Sun last weekend that Williams was "drinking every day, even while filming the show" recently, adding that staffers smelled liquor on her. "Everyone is an enabler because they don't want to lose their job. They see it, they know it, they smelled the liquor," the Sun's source said.

Williams was forced to miss episodes in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for health issues, including complications from Graves' disease. In April 2019, Williams moved out of a sober house after she filed for divorce from Kevin Hunter, to whom she was married for 20 years. Williams and hunter also share a son, Kevin Hunter Jr.