Wendy Williams is ready to return home amid her dementia battle according to her son, Kevin Hunter Jr.
The college graduate, 24, shared a positive update on his mom on Monday, December 23, telling TMZ that Wendy, 60, was “sober and wants to come home.”
“Isolation is killing her faster than anything else,” he said, adding that their family was fighting to bring her home. Her family did not make it clear where she is currently living, per the outlet.
The former talk show host has recently made two public appearances in Florida — including her son’s college graduation — just weeks after her legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, stated that Wendy was “permanently incapacitated” due to her reportedly declining health.
“[Wendy Williams Hunter], an acclaimed entertainer who, tragically, has been afflicted by early-onset dementia and, as a result, has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated,” court paperwork filed by Sabrina in New York on November 12 stated, according to TMZ.
The letter was filed as part of Sabrina’s lawsuit against A+E Networks, alleging they exploited Wendy in the Lifetime docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams? After the four-part documentary premiered in February, it was disclosed that Wendy had been diagnosed with aphasia and dementia.
“On behalf of Wendy Williams Hunter, her care team is sharing this very personal update with her cherished fans, friends, and supporters to correct inaccurate and hurtful rumors about her health,” a press release read on February 22. “As Wendy’s fans are aware, in the past she has been open with the public about her medical struggles with Graves’ Disease and Lymphedema as well as other significant challenges related to her health.”
The statement confirmed that the Wendy Williams Show alum was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
“Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy’s ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions,” the statement continued. “Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires.”
Wendy reportedly showed symptoms of her disease during the production of the documentary. Sabrina claimed in her lawsuit that the former radio DJ only received $82,000 for the doc out of millions that the network was said to have made for the project, according to Page Six. Meanwhile, A+E Networks responded, claiming that Sabrina did not “protect” Wendy and allowed her to be filmed “without checking in on her,” the outlet reported.
Sabrina’s lawyer claimed Wendy’s legal guardian wasn’t aware of the filming agreement until “seven months” after production began.
“None of the defendants ever gained the guardian’s consent for [Williams’] participation to be filmed,” her lawyer claimed in a statement, per Page Six.
During the documentary, members of Wendy’s family spoke out about her disease, including Kevin, who told viewers that his mom suffered from alcohol-induced dementia.
“[Doctors] basically said that because she was drinking so much, it was starting to affect her headspace and her brain,” Kevin explained during the February 25, episode of the two-part series.
Alcohol-related dementia, according to Healthline, is a “type of cognitive impairment that occurs as a result of heavy alcohol consumption over a long period.” Over time, alcohol use can cause brain damage that affects a person’s ability to do daily tasks, such as cooking and managing their finances, per the website.
Wendy has mostly remained out of the public eye since her talk show was canceled in 2022 due to her ongoing health issues. Apart from her last public outings, Wendy also gave an interview about Diddy in October, but it was not on camera.