Wendy Williams' Brother Opens Up About Claims The Talk Show Host Has Dementia

Wendy Williams has had fans worried for months after it was revealed she would not be immediately returning to "The Wendy Williams Show" in the wake of its summer hiatus.

Wendy was originally scheduled to reclaim her purple chair in September, though her return was pushed back after it was confirmed via a post on "The Wendy Williams Show"'s Instagram that Wendy had been experiencing health issues as well as a "breakthrough case of COVID-19." The show's Season 13 premiere was then scheduled for October 4.

But Wendy didn't return for new episodes and, on October 12, a message posted to the show's Instagram account read that the former radio DJ turned TV talk show host "continues to be under medical supervision and meets with her medical team on a daily basis." They added that the star "is making progress but is experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves' disease and her thyroid condition" and announced that guest hosts would be taking over for her in the meantime. Sherri Shepherd, Leah Remini, Michael Rapaport, and Jerry Springer are just some of the big names who have stepped in for Wendy, during which time her absence has had fans doing a whole lot of gossiping.

Rumors have been circulating about how Wendy is really doing, with one particularly worrying report suggesting Wendy has developed dementia and is confined to a wheelchair. But her brother, Tommy Williams, has something to say about all that speculation...

Wendy Williams' brother, Tommy Williams, appeared to shut down the dementia claims while speaking to The U.S. Sun in a November 22 interview, as he claimed his famous sister hadn't been "displaying that type of behavior to the family." He added they'd been "routinely" checking up on the star and he hadn't "seen anything like that or have had conversations with her that would lead [him] to believe that... we don't have any concerns concerning her mental state. It's all physical."

Tommy even suggested his sister could be well enough to travel from her home in New York to visit her family in Florida for what will be the family's first Thanksgiving since Wendy's mom died in December 2020.

Prior to the rumors, fans appeared to hear directly from Wendy when she shared a statement via "The Wendy Williams Show"'s Instagram account on November 8. "I'm making progress but it's just one of those things that's taking longer than we expected," she said, noting she still planned to return to the show as soon as she and her doctors mutually decide it's the right time.

Wendy also shared thanks for her guest hosts and the company behind the show, while also giving a shoutout to her fans. "I'm doing everything I can to get back to work, but right now Wendy has to focus on Wendy. I love you for watching," she said.

When Wendy will finally return her purple chair is still unknown.