Wendy Williams Cancels Promo Appearances Amid Health Issues, Delays Return to Talk Show
Wendy Williams postponed the Season 13 premiere of The Wendy Williams Show again as she deals with ongoing medical issues. The season was supposed to kick off on Sept. 20, but Williams canceled promotional appearances for the show on Sept. 9, then postponed the premiere until Oct. 4 after she tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19. On Thursday, the show's premiere was postponed again, until Oct. 18.
It appeared Williams, 57, might be well enough to return to work on Oct. 4 because her team began promoting the premiere on Instagram this week. On Tuesday, her team posted a teaser, assuring fans there would be new episodes all of next week. "THE WAIT IS OVER! Season 13 starts MONDAY. You don't wanna miss it," her team teased. Then on Wednesday, her team posted began a countdown, noting that there were only five days until the premiere. However, on Thursday, her team announced the Oct. 4 premiere was not to be.
"Wendy will not be returning with new shows on Oct. 4," the new statement read. "She has bee and continues to be under a doctor's care and is still not ready to return to work. We plan to return with new shows on Oct. 18." According to her team, the breakthrough COVID case is "no longer an issue" as Williams tested negative recently. However, she is "still dealing with some ongoing medical issues," the statement concluded.
Williams was scheduled to do promotional work for her show's 13th season during the second full week of September in the lead-up to the Sept. 20 premiere. That was canceled though, as Williams needed "further evaluations" for "ongoing health issues." On Sept. 15, her team said she tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19 and her premiere was postponed until Oct. 4 at that time. On Sept. 17, sources told TMZ she was hospitalized on Sept. 14 for a psychiatric evaluation. Since then, several concerning photos of Williams being taken places in a wheelchair in New York City have surfaced.
On Thursday, sources told Page Six the decision to postpone the premiere was sudden. "Healing is not a straight-line process," the source said. "It was felt within the last 24 hours that we wanted to give her more time to recover." Producers decided to delay the premiere because they did not want to start and then have to stop. The source insisted Williams will definitely host the show when it returns, not a guest host.
Williams has not publicly commented on her current health crisis. She was forced to take time off from the show for medical reasons in 2018, 2019, and early 2020, but she started Season 12 on time in September 2020. In March 2018, she opened up about her struggle with Graves' disease, an immune system disorder, and hyperthyroidism. She also spent time in rehab and a sober-living facility in 2019.
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