Wendy Williams 'permanently incapacitated' as dementia progresses, guardian says

(WGHP) — Wendy Williams, longtime host of the daytime talk show "The Wendy Williams Show," is now "permanently incapacitated" as her dementia progresses, according to court filings obtained by The U.S. Sun.

In recent court documents, Williams' guardian, Sabrina Morrisey, described the now-60-year-old former host as "an acclaimed entertainer who, tragically, has been afflicted by early-onset dementia and, as a result, has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated."

The court documents are in connection with a lawsuit over the Lifetime documentary series "Where is Wendy Williams?" Morrissey filed the lawsuit in February to block Lifetime from releasing the series, but a court ruled that it could be released as planned. The first episodes of "Where is Wendy Williams?" were released on Feb. 24 with Williams listed as an executive producer.

In February, Williams' team revealed that she had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. They issued a news release addressing what they referred to as questions "about Wendy's ability to process information" and speculation over "Wendy's condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions."

The National Aphasia Association describes primary progressive aphasia as a neurological syndrome that impairs language capabilities over time and can be caused by neurodegenerative diseases like frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia, according to the National Institute of Health, is caused by damage to neurons in the brain's frontal and temporal lobes and can cause "unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work or difficulty with walking." There is no known cure.

While rare, frontotemporal dementia tends to impact people at a younger age than other forms of dementia, with about 60% of cases impacting people between 45 and 64 years old.

The Wendy Williams show came to an end in fall 2022 after 14 seasons. The decision was tied to the host's health concerns.