Wendy Williams ‘incapacitated’: What we know about her health

A recent court filing obtained by TMZ reportedly states that daytime TV icon Wendy Williams is "permanently incapacitated."

Williams was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023, and has been under guardianship since 2022. 

She has spoken about other health conditions affecting her over the years as well. 

Here is a timeline of Williams’ recent health diagnoses and what to know about them: 

Wendy Williams guardianship

Williams was assigned a guardian in 2022 after Wells Fargo froze her accounts, PEOPLE Magazine reported. At the time, her financial adviser claimed in court filings she was of "unsound mind." 

Her guardian was not initially made public, but has since been revealed to be New York lawyer Sabrina Morrissey. Her name was revealed when she sued to shelve a Lifetime documentary on Williams, but more on that below. 

Wendy Williams dementia

Williams’ caretakers released a statement in February of 2024 revealing that she had been diagnosed in 2023 with a form of dementia. 

The statement said she’d been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.

How old is Wendy Williams?

Williams turned 60 in July. 

She was 57 when her guardianship started, and she was diagnosed with dementia sometime around the age of 58 or 59. 

What is frontotemporal dementia (FTD)?

Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a rare disease that affects parts of the brain controlling behavior and language. These parts of the brain shrink as the disease gets worse.

FTD usually occurs in people in their 40s, 50s and early 60s. It can affect a person’s personality, causing a loss of inhibition or inappropriate behavior. It is sometimes mistaken for depression or bipolar disorder, and can take years to diagnose.

It’s caused by damage to neurons, the brain’s information carriers, but the underlying reasons for a particular case are often unclear. 

FTD can be a long illness, lasting two to 10 years. People with FTD will need caregiving or nursing support as their symptoms get worse. There is no cure.

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a disorder that affects how you communicate, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can impact speech, as well as the way one writes and understands both spoken and written language.

An FTD diagnosis often includes primary progressive aphasia, which means it’s causing problems with language skills. 

A person with this type of FTD, such as Williams, may have trouble finding words or understanding speech.

Aphasia and FTD also affect actor Bruce Willis. 

RELATED: Demi Moore says ex Bruce Willis is in 'stable' health as he battles dementia

What does incapacitated mean?

A legal filing reportedly obtained by TMZ this week said Williams’ guardian claims she is "permanently incapacitated."

Dictionary.com defines incapacitated as being deprived of strength or ability, or to be made incapable or nonfunctional. 

In medical terms, to be incapacitated means one has the physical or mental inability to make informed, rational judgments and decisions, according to the MIT Mind and Hand Book. 

Questions that can be asked to determine incapacitation can include: Do you know where you are? Do you know how you got here? Do you know what is happening? Do you know who you are with?

Wendy Williams last show

Williams’ self-titled daytime talk show ended in 2022 because of her health issues. 

In October 2017, Williams fainted on stage during her show, saying later she became overheated while wearing a bulky Halloween costume.

Williams said in 2018 that she had been diagnosed years before with Graves’ disease.

Williams herself did not appear in the final episode. Sherri Shepherd, who filled in for Williams as a guest host, received her own show.

What is Graves’ disease?

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder which causes an overproduction of thyroid hormones. It can cause wide-ranging symptoms that can affect overall health.

Wendy Williams documentary

A Lifetime docuseries on Wendy Williams that aired in February 2024, just weeks after news of her dementia diagnosis, was met with mixed reviews. 

"Where is Wendy Williams?" featured numerous scenes of the former talk show host unsteady, belligerent, confused and also drunk. Many times the former talk show host admitted to drinking. "I love vodka," Williams, then 59, said in the first episode.

But producers and members of her team said they didn’t know at the time she had dementia. Filming took place from some time in 2022 to April 2023, and was reportedly meant to chronicle a health comeback. 

Her son says in the documentary that doctors had been connecting her cognitive issues to alcohol use, PEOPLE Magazine reported.

Williams has spoken publicly before about substance abuse, including a cocaine addiction and living in a "sober house" in 2019.

Williams’ guardian fought unsuccessfully to keep the documentary from airing. Producers say ultimately what was filmed and aired was honest and unfiltered, like Williams herself.

TMZ reported Williams was last seen in public in August when she was shopping at a holistic wellness store in New Jersey.