Wendy Williams, who continues to be missing from her eponymous talk show, has reportedly asked a court to force Wells Fargo to unfreeze her accounts with them. Williams, 57, claims the bank has possession of “several million dollars’ worth of funds” that she cannot access. Her attorney claims a former financial advisor convinced Wells Fargo Williams was “of unsound mind,” according to The U.S. Sun.
In their court filing, Williams’ legal team said Wells Fargo justified freezing Williams’ assents under a previous client agreement to “‘pause or reject instructions for a proposed transaction,’ pending judicial or administrative remedies, should they suspect financial exploitation, dementia, or undue influence.” However, her lawyers believe the bank overreached its authority because Williams has yet to give Wells Fargo any reason to keep her from accessing her account.
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The Wendy Williams Show host’s attorney wants the court to issue an emergency order that will allow her immediate access to her accounts while the dispute with Wells Fargo is ongoing in arbitration. Williams is dealing with “imminent and irreparable financial damage,” according to her attorneys, who accused Wells Faro of violating its fiduciary duty. The bank should give access to Wendy and “her agents, members, officers, employees, representatives and anyone else acting on Respondent’s behalf” within 48 hours, the filing reads.
This issue with Wells Fargo surfaced just days after the Wendy Williams Show producers announced another round of guest hosts while Williams continues to be unavailable. Comedian Michael Rapaport took over the show again during the week starting on Jan. 31. Rappers Fat Joe and Remy Ma will host again for the week starting on Feb. 7, before Bevy Smith, Terence J, and Sheri Shepherd host more episodes. Rapaport is set to return on Feb. 28 to host another week.
Williams hasn’t appeared on her show at all since the end of the 2020-2021 season. Her health has been at the center of constant speculation, as she deals with symptoms of graves’ disease and lymphedema. There have also been rumors of dementia. In late January, sources told The Jasmine Brand some Williams Show staffers believe she might never return.
“The spark is gone. That Wendy, who for ten years had that spark in her eyes, that cheeky grin and that little wink is not the same now,” a source told The Sun on Jan. 20. “She’s not always functioning like she used to be. She has days where she needs help eating, getting out of bed and getting dressed.”
Last week, sources told Page Six there was a “culture war” brewing behind the scenes of Williams’ show during her absence. An insider accused the “all-white management” of being “out of touch” with the show’s demographic, pointing to guest hosts like Rapaport, Whitney Cummings, and Leah Remini. Some staffers were reportedly not happy about Rapaport, who is white, hosting the first week of shows during Black History Month. “It’s like they’re programming against the culture instead of leaning into it, the insider said.ย