The highly anticipated and highly controversial two-part docuseries, Where Is Wendy Williams?, aired its first half on Lifetime on Feb. 24. The docuseries was initially meant to chronicle Wendy Williams’ triumphant comeback after her popular daytime talk show was canceled in 2022 amid her ongoing health issues. Within the first few scenes of the program, it’s clear a comeback should be the last thing on Williams’ mind, as well as her new team of managers and publicists. Williams appears aloof, physically unwell, aggressive at times, and on the verge of tears throughout most of the first portion. She’s estranged from her family, has little access to her money thanks to being forced into a conservatorship, and has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. The docuseries premiered just two days before her team confirmed she’s been diagnosed with dementia, something widely speculated over the last two years.
Friends, employees, and family members tell their side of the story regarding Williams’ demise. According to them, her underlying addiction issues worsened amid her marital breakdown and spiraled after her talk show’s cancelation. She’s been hospitalized and close to death a few times in the past few years, and she’s been in and out of treatment centers for alcoholism, while also struggling to manage her lymphedema, thyroid issues, and Graves disease.
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Throughout the series, Williams appears disoriented. Known for her perfectly curled wigs, colorful dresses, bedazzled sneakers, and bubbly personality, she seems void of all of it. Her appears is disheveled in comparison to what fans are used to. And while fans have been hoping for an update on the queen of hot topics, it wasn’t in this form they desired it.
Enablers all around her
Williams admits she’s estranged from her family because they don’t approve of her drinking. When asked by production how often she drinks, she responds, “Whenever I want.” Her manager exposes a half-empty bottle of Kettle One in one scene. In later scenes, she’s shown having cocktails with her team also indulging. Many believe no one around her holds her accountable.
An isolated road
Williams has long maintained that she doesn’t have many close friends and learned to be her “own best friend.” But everybody needs someone, and it’s painfully obvious that she’s lonely. Her nephew recalls her coming home from her daytime talk show every day, retreating to her room with a bottle of alcohol, and returning the next morning for work. She lives alone in the series in a large Manhattan penthouse. Her ex-husband of 25 years, their son, and her parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews all live in Florida.
A lot of outbursts
Some have described Williams as angry and erratic. In the docuseries, there are several scenes of her cursing out staffers or having little patience. According to Better Health Channel, this isn’t uncommon. There can be stark mood changes, as someone with dementia can have rapid mood swings, for no apparent reason, and they can become confused, suspicious, or withdrawn. Others can become disinhibited or more outgoing.
No one deserves this
Some social media users say Williams’ current condition is her karma for being an unabashed pop culture critic and reporter. But the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. To watch this level of a person’s downfall is cringe.
An overload of emotions
The queen of hot topics breaks down in tears in multiple scenes. She often looks to her manager to help save her in those moments. But many believe the manager shouldn’t be trusted.
She remembers the hurt
As expected with people suffering from dementia, their happiest and most traumatic memories don’t leave them. Williams referenced her ex several times. Fans say it’s painful to see she’s still attached to someone who hurt her so deeply amid her health ongoing issues.
