Wendy Williams' Rep Shares Major Update On Former Talk Show Host's Health Journey

The discussion over Wendy Williams' well-being has been ongoing for quite some time. After the TV personality was replaced by guest hosts on the final season of "The Wendy Williams Show," sources revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in August that her health factored majorly into Williams' talk show cancellation. During one of her final Zoom calls with show producers, an insider told THR that a "rambling" Williams was "starting not to be coherent."

Concern for the media mogul continued as recent videos seemingly captured her looking and acting disheveled in public. An August 2022 candid clip caught Williams wandering on the streets of New York while interacting with the paparazzi. As an inside source told the Daily Mail, Williams' "serious health challenges" have complicated her life "far worse than people realize." Williams' manager William Selby soothed worries at the time by explaining these as the occasional bad hair days. "We're used to seeing Wendy prepped and on camera but what you're seeing now is Wendy raw," Selby told the U.K. outlet.

Despite this and Williams' recent promise to return on-air soon, it looks like fan concerns weren't unfounded. A Williams spokesperson just delivered a sobering update on her overall well-being. 

Wendy Williams has checked into a wellness facility for overall health issues. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on September 14, 2022, her publicist disclosed that, as the TV personality prepares to level up for the next phase of her career with "The Wendy Experience Podcast," she "is taking some time to focus on her health and wellness." While it doesn't sound like the most alarming of announcements, Williams' rep did ask for fans' "prayers and well-wishes" as Williams receives treatment from "some of the best doctors in the world." 

First announcing her diagnosis of the autoimmune disorder Graves' disease in 2018, Williams has halted production on the now-defunct "Wendy Williams Show" multiple times in its last few seasons, per USA Today. Additionally, Williams revealed in 2019 that she had been diagnosed with lymphedema, a condition inhibiting the body from properly draining lymph fluids, per Health. "It's not going to kill me, but I do have a machine," she shared on "The Wendy Williams Show." Both conditions have played a major role in Williams' decision to go on hiatus during the 13th and final season of her talk show, per THR. 

Here's wishing the Queen of All Media a steady and full recovery!

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.