Sherri Shepherd Responds to Wendy Williams Shade Over Replacement Talk Show

Sherri Shepherd reportedly responded to Wendy Williams, who said she would not watch the former The View co-anchor's solo talk show. After Williams missed the entirety of the 2021-2022 season of The Wendy Williams Show, Debmar-Mercury and Fox announced Shepherd would host a new show to replace her. Shepherd said she was fine with Williams not watching her show and understood the decision.

"I did hear Wendy say she will not watch me on the new show. And that's okay. You know, I understand," Shepherd told a fan during an Instagram Live session Saturday, reports Radar Online. "I'm not mad at Wendy. She's going through a lot." Shepherd later told her fans, "Everyone should be praying for Wendy."

Williams missed all of this season of her eponymous talk show, leaving producers to find guest hosts. Her team said she was dealing with several health issues stemming from Graves' Disease and tested positive for COVID-19 last fall. Shepherd was among the most successful guest hosts, and considering her experience on The View, was the easy choice to replace Williams in fall 2022.

On Saturday, Shepherd said she was "concerned" for Williams' well-being. "I'm really truly concerned for her because I don't feel like there's anybody over there protecting her," the Emmy-winner said. "And it's really hard when there's no protection around you... But I'm not mad at Wendy because she won't watch my show."

Another commenter asked Shepherd where Williams' friends were during the past year. Shepherd said the two "don't run in the same circles" because she is based in Los Angeles and Williams is in New York. They were "very friendly" at one point, but "sometimes stuff doesn't pan out as far as friendships," Shepherd said.

Shepherd also does not believe Williams is "bitter" about her being replaced. "She's not well," Shepherd reiterated. "There's just a lot going on in Wendy's life. All I can do over here [is] pray."

During an interview with Fat Joe early Saturday, Williams said she would not watch Shepherd because their hosting styles are very different. "I won't be watching her because I know what she'll be doing and that's not really my thing... you know what I'm saying?" Williams told Fat Joe. "But I love, I love being on my own show. And I love that people love to watch it, you know, all the time."

Debmar-Mercury and Fox canceled Williams' show in February and hired Shepherd to host Sherri. Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein described Shepherd as a "natural" host, citing her work on The View and Fox's Dish Nation. "Like our viewers, we have been impressed by the unique comedic twist Sherri puts on our daily live 'Hot Topics' segment, her creativity, and interactions with our guests," Bernstein and Marcus said. "Her love for the content and daytime fans is obvious, and we are excited to partner with her to create another long-term talk franchise."