Wendy Williams’ court-appointed guardian tried to block the release of a Lifetime docu-series about the current debate host, telling a court last month that she was “horrified” by Williams’ portrayal as a “drunk” and “laughing stock”. ”
The person responsible, Sabrina Morrissey, obtained a brief restraining order to keep the two-part series, titled “Where Is Wendy Williams?”, confidential.
But A+E Networks, Lifetime’s parent company, and Entertainment One were quickly able to overturn that order on February 23, with an appellate judge ruling it an “impermissible prior restraint on speech” under the First Amendment. The program aired the next weekend.
The battle between the guardian and the community was reported beforehand. But more details became available on Thursday, when a New York judge ordered most of the court files in the case to be unsealed.
Williams ended her 14-year career as a nationally syndicated debate host two years ago after battling medical issues. At that point, Wells Fargo froze her accounts, fearing she was affected by dementia and was likely being financially exploited.
This motion led to the appointment of the guardian. Williams was finally diagnosed with frontotemporal lobe dementia and progressive aphasia in May 2023.
At that time, Williams had already signed on to make the documentary. His son, Kevin Hunter Jr., and supervisor, William Selby, were involved as producers. Williams is listed as a government producer.
According to the Guardian, however, Williams did not have the capacity to consent to the contract and yet does so. Morrissey, however, allowed production to proceed, understanding that nothing could be released without her and the court’s approval, according to her reviews.
Morrissey placed limits on filming, telling Selby that she would not allow filming of Williams’ doctor appointments. And at one point, the tutor refused to allow Williams to participate in additional interviews.
“In the months that followed, Selby repeatedly asked if (Williams) could participate in further filming, stating that A+E wanted to film additional episodes,” the review states. “The Guardian made it clear that (Williams’) medical situation precluded any additional filming or interviews.”
The review claims that Morrissey was completely blindsided by the trailer, released on February 2. Neither she nor the court signed off on the project.
She also alleges that Selby assured her it would be a positive portrayal, “like a phoenix rising from the ashes.”
“However, the trailer makes it clear that the documentary is somewhat optimistic,” says the review. “Instead, it cruelly portrays (Williams) as deeply confused and erratic, while she is clearly incapacitated due to her medical circumstances.”
Morrissey was “horrified” to see Williams’ medical situation exploited and mischaracterized as a result of alcohol, and to see it portrayed in a “humiliating and degrading method.”
Morrissey feared the collection would “damage her legacy and eviscerate what remaining income potential she has by portraying her as a drunk and a laughing stock.”
Williams’ relatives were vital to the conservatorship and the series shows that perspective. Within the criticism, Morrissey argued that the trailer falsely implies that “Williams’s declining situation was motivated or exacerbated by the conservatorship.”
Williams’ sister and son appear to be in the series expressing their objections to the guardian, who is not recognized by title, and their opinion that his family should be in charge of his care.
After the collection went live, Selection Leading TV critic Aramide Tinubu called the show an “exploitative program of his cognitive decline and emotional well-being.” The series scored strong, with 1.2 million viewers during the initial broadcast and over the following three days.
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