Wendy Williams’ fight to escape ‘hellhole’ guardianship finds first crushing defeat

Wendy Williams has been on a determined media tour to secure her freedom from the conservatorship that has controlled her finances and often even her movements since 2022. She recently underwent another reevaluation, but unfortunately, her results might not be satisfactory enough to secure her release from the court-ordered arrangement.

Williams’ public appearances since entering the conservatorship have been few and far between, but they have offered observers a way to track how she’s been holding up. The first notable incident for the former queen of daytime talk shows came when she got into a scuffle with her caretakers during her son’s graduation weekend. That moment showed she was clearly uncomfortable with the people — most of whom were hired by her conservatorship — working for her.

Then came the string of interviews. She appeared on The Breakfast Club and Good Day New York, where she used words like “hellhole” to describe her living situation and said she was being treated like a vegetable. The live, on-air calls often sounded like the old Wendy that everyone knows and, secretly, still loves. In those interviews, she claimed she had taken a new cognitive test and passed “with flying colors.” And, similar to Britney Spears, people online began demanding her release from the court-ordered conservatorship.

People now reports that just hours after her interview on The Breakfast Club, her court-appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, requested a new medical evaluation. The assessment reportedly involved multiple scans to evaluate her neuropsychological health using brain imaging. Doctors have now reportedly reached an opinion on her condition.

People obtained the paperwork, which listed no official condition in Williams’ health report. However, sources told the outlet that Wendy is still managing a case of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and aphasia, first diagnosed in 2023 when reports of her medical issues became public. That reality could complicate her fight to end her guardianship, despite her claims of being mentally fit.

Williams’ ex-husband, Kevin, however, is not giving up his fight against the guardianship. Hunter filed a lawsuit calling the process a “civil death.” His lawsuit is seeking a partial guardian and financial compensation of $250 million for the reputational damage and financial loss that Williams has allegedly endured under Morrissey’s care. His lawyer’s official complaint in part read:  “Guardianship is a civil death. In New York, more than 28,000 adults, which includes [Williams], are being abused, neglected, and defrauded under the care of court-appointed guardians.”

Morrissey, in turn, is requesting a three-month extension of her guardianship in light of Williams’ latest medical report. If granted, Williams would remain under her care until at least Nov. 5. But now that the case will be contested in court, it’s anyone’s guess whether Williams will reach that date still under Morrissey’s supervision.

Cases involving mental health are always complex. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Most caretakers struggle to find humane ways to help affected individuals regain their independence, and stress tests like Kevin Hunter’s lawsuit — and public pressure — only serve to refine their approach.