Talk show host Wendy Williams diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia
Daytime talk show legend Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with dementia and aphasia.
Last year, Williams, 59, was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, according to a Thursday press release from her representatives.
"Wendy would not have received confirmation of these diagnoses were it not for the diligence of her current care team, who she chose, and the extraordinary work of the specialists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires," the press release said.
In a follow-up statement to USA TODAY, Williams' reps added she is "able to do many things for herself. She was involved in choosing the members of her care team. She was involved with and approved the statement that was released this morning."
Wendy Williams says she has 'no money'in Lifetime documentary trailer
News of the diagnosis comes a day after a People magazine cover story detailed the first public comments from Williams' brother, sister and niece on the talk show host's personal journey over the past few years.
"We've all seen the images over the last few months and, really, few years of what has seemed like a spiral for my aunt," Williams’ niece and Miami news anchor Alex Finnie said. "It was shocking and heartbreaking to see her in this state."
According to the People article, Williams now resides in an undisclosed care facility. Her sister Wanda Finnie said that Williams can call the family, but they cannot call her themselves and they do not know where she's housed.
"The people who love her cannot see her," Wanda Finnie, Wendy's sister and Alex's mom, told People.
Wendy Williams' dementia, aphasia diagnosis comes after abrupt talk show end in 2022
In March 2019, Williams announced she was living in a sober house. Then, a month later, Williams filed for divorce after 21 years of marriage to ex-husband Kevin Hunter, a co-executive producer of Williams' long-running daytime talk show "The Wendy Williams Show" also known as "Wendy." The talk show host and Hunter share one adult child, Kevin Hunter Jr.
Two years later, in fall 2021, "Wendy" experienced several production delays. A rotating slate of guest hosts stepped in to help host the show including Leah Remini, comedianMichael Rapaport and former co-host of "The View" Sherri Shepherd. "Wendy" was canceled in 2022 after Williams took medical leave during a battle with the autoimmune disorder Graves' disease.
That same year, she was placed under a financial guardianship. Wells Fargo argued at the time that she was an "incapacitated person," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Later, the production company behind "Wendy" replaced the program with "Sherri" featuring Shepherd in the same timeslot in September 2022.
The upcoming two-part Lifetime documentary "Where is Wendy Williams?" which traces Williams' abrupt exit from public life will air Saturday and Sunday. The network previously aired a biopic about the talk show host's life, "Wendy Williams: The Movie," and a documentary, "Wendy Williams: What a Mess," both in 2021.
Wendy Williams' aphasia, dementia mirrors actor Bruce Willis' diagnosis
Williams' frontotemporal dementia and aphasia diagnosis mirrors the same diagnosis as actor Bruce Willis. Willis was first diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 before being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia last year. Aphasia is a disorder that comes from damage to parts of the brain responsible for language, according to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders.
Aphasia can affect the way a person expresses language and understands it. The disorder also can affect reading and writing. Men and women are affected equally by aphasia, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
What to know:Wendy Williams, like Bruce Willis, has aphasia, frontotemporal dementia
Most people with aphasia are middle-aged or older. Williams turns 60 in July. It is not known whether aphasia causes a total loss of language structure or complications in how language is accessed.
Frontotemporal dementia is a brain disorder, but it is not the same as Alzheimer's disease. It is less common and known, according to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
The exact cause of frontotemporal dementia is currently unknown, but several medical organizations say there are genetic mutations that are linked to the disorder. There is no known risk factor of developing the disorder, but the Mayo Clinic says your risk of developing frontotemporal dementia could be higher with a family history of dementia, but the AFTD disease is "sporadic."
"Some people with FTD have tiny structures, called Pick bodies, in their brain cells. Pick bodies contain an abnormal amount or type of protein," Johns Hopkins Medicine says.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, Jordan Mendoza, Marina Pitofsky, Sara M Moniuszko