Wendy Williams Cites ‘Ongoing’ Health Concerns After Canceling Promos for Talk Show

Wendy Williams was forced to cancel promoting her long-running daytime talk show before the fall season kicks off due to health concerns. Williams previously took a break from the show in May 2020 due to health concerns related to Graves’ disease, but her team provided no further details on the latest concerns. The Wendy Williams Show Season 13 is set to start on Monday, Sept. 20.

“Wendy is dealing with some ongoing health issues and is undergoing further evaluations,” reads a statement published on her Instagram page. “She will not be able to complete her promotional activities next week, but can’t wait to be back in her purple chair on Monday, September 20th for the 13th season premiere.” The post included no further details, but thousands of fans rushed to send Williams, 57, get well soon messages.

In February 2018, Williams announced she would take a three-week break from the show after she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. After returning the following month, she told Good Morning America she was feeling much better. She planned to focus more on her health over her work.

“I feel a hundred percent better than I was a few months ago. I had a storm going in my body is the best way I can explain it,” Williams said on GMA in March 2018. “It came from me neglecting my six-month endocrinology appointment. I have Graves disease and hyperthyroid. If you have one you don’t necessarily have to have the other, but I have both, and I was diagnosed with both 19 years ago.”

Williams was later forced to take time off from the show in January 2019 after fracturing her shoulder and experiencing complications from Graves’ disease that required treatment. In May 2020, she needed to take another break, just a few weeks after her show switched to being filmed remotely from her apartment. “Recently, Wendy has been dealing with symptoms from her Graves’ disease which is causing fatigue. In consultation with her doctor and as a precautionary measure, she will be taking some time off as she continues to receive treatment,” a rep for the show said at the time. Williams did not return until September 2020 to kick off her 12th season.

Graves’ disease is an immune system disorder that leads to an overproduction of thyroid hormones called hyperthyroidism, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Although a number of disorders may result in hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease is a common cause,” the Mayo Clinic notes. “Thyroid hormones affect many body systems, so signs and symptoms of Graves’ disease can be wide-ranging. Although Graves’ disease may affect anyone, it’s more common among women and in people younger than age 40.”