Wendy Williams declared permanently incapacitated amid dementia battle

Wendy Williams' health has worsened significantly amid her battle with dementia and aphasia.

The former host of "The Wendy Williams Show," 60, has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and aphasia, which has led her attorneys to reveal that Williams is now "cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated."

According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, Williams' guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, filed a memo to the court earlier this month outlining this diagnosis.

Morrissey's legal battle on behalf of Williams

Morrissey has been involved in a series of legal actions against A&E Television Networks, Lifetime Entertainment Services, and others involved in the production and airing of the docuseries "Where is Wendy Williams?" which premiered in February 2023.

The series focused on Williams' abrupt exit from public life, sparking considerable controversy. According to the November 12 letter, Morrissey accuses the defendants of "taking advantage of (Williams) in the cruelest and most obscene way possible for their own financial gain."

Despite her diagnosis, Williams remains an "acclaimed entertainer" who, tragically, has suffered from early-onset dementia, as stated in the court documents.

In the same memo, Morrissey's attorneys also requested the removal of Williams' personal information from a defense portion of a joint status letter related to a guardianship proceeding initiated by Williams' bank, Wells Fargo, in January 2022.

This procedure was set up to protect the TV personality's finances, and the request to seal it was later approved. Morrissey argues that the proposed redactions are "narrowly drawn" and do not affect the public's ability to understand the key facts and legal arguments in the case.

The illness that changed Wendy Williams' life

In February 2023, Williams' representatives confirmed she had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. In a statement, they noted that Williams "can do many things for herself" and was involved in selecting her care team.

Furthermore, Williams was credited as the executive producer of "Where is Wendy Williams?" despite allegations that she was not in a condition to consent to being filmed for the project.

Additionally, Morrissey filed a complaint requesting that the profits from the docuseries be given to Williams, as she will require "significant funding to provide proper medical care and supervision for the rest of her life."