In a stunning and heart-wrenching twist, the once-unassailable queen of daytime television, Wendy Williams, begged for Help. On the morning of March 10, she tossed a handwritten note out the window of her fifth-floor room in her New York assisted living facility, an alarming distress signal to the outside world.
The scrawled note, which was written in a hurry, contained only two chilling words: "Help! Wendy!" tumbled down onto woefully unprepared passersby, which quickly provoked the fury of authorities. Police officers arrived at the scene after they were called for a wellness check around 11:15 a.m. Seconds later, Williams emerged looking distraught as officers held her close as they led her through the waiting ambulance doors.
The incident is just the latest chapter in the tragic saga of the beloved former host of The Wendy Williams Show, who has been grappling with a series of health and legal issues in the past few years. Williams had been living in the memory care unit of the facility while suffering from several advanced medical disorders, including frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. Her mental health has been the subject of a bitter legal battle, with her court-appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, insisting that the star is "cognitively impaired, permanently disabled and incapacitated."
However, Williams has consistently denied those accusations, arguing that she has not been afforded the freedom she needs. Speaking to the website in a tearful phone interview recently, she said she felt trapped in a "prison" from which she is "not allowed" to leave. Her words have only intensified the budding debate over guardianship laws and the rights of people subject to conservatorships.
As for Williams' fans, despite the distressing circumstances, there is a glimmer of hope to be found. She's soon returning to daytime TV on ABC's The View, which she left in 2016. It would be her first on-air appearance in four years since her long-running talk show ended.
According to Suzanne Bass, Williams ' former co-executive producer, the post indicated that Williams was ready to step back into the spotlight: "Prepping a very special friend for her appearance @theviewabc to air this Friday. #freewendy."
As news of her hospitalization circulates, worry about Williams' well-being only grows. Her battle for independence, combined with her continuing health challenges, has renewed a public debate over the intricacies of guardianship and the safeguards or constraints it can place on those found to be incapacitated.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Williams's next appearance in "The View," when she can clarify her situation in her own words. Wendy Williams has had a long and complex journey, and many fans hope this is simply the beginning of the next chapter, where she finally finds her voice and freedom again.
0 Comments