Wendy Williams' shock transformation amid 'horrific' guardianship drama as she celebrates 61st birthday
The TV personality has been residing at a luxury assisted living facility in New York after being placed under the guardianship of lawyer Sabrina Morrissey in 2022.
Over the past few months, she has waged a public war against the arrangement, which she claims is so restrictive she feels 'like I am in prison.'
Although her recent sightings have often involved a mobility scooter, she moved without the contraption when she headed to dinner this Thursday.
Williams, who turned 61 on Friday, enjoyed an early birthday dinner Thursday at the iconic Manhattan restaurant Delmonico's accompanied by a group of friends.
Among them were Suzanne Bass and Brendan Higgins, the husband-wife team who served as producers on her long-running daytime talk show, which was canceled in 2022 while the hostess suffered through her highly publicized medical woes.
This Thursday, the shock jock beamed and stayed ramrod straight as she walked down the sidewalk to Delmonico's, linking arms with Bass, who is instantly recognizable to regular viewers of The Wendy Williams Show.
Williams cut a stylish figure for her evening out, glamming up in full hair and makeup and wearing a sleek black cocktail dress with a Chanel purse.
She wore a comfortable-looking set of shoes to cope with her lymphedema, which she has previously said left her able to feel only 'maybe 5% of my feet.'
Two of her lawyers joined her at dinner, where she seemed 'better than ever,' according to a Page Six source. 'She was walking fine, with a huge Chanel bag,' a witness observed.
She and her dining companions posed inside the restaurant for a photo that was posted to Instagram by Max Tucci, a third generation partner at Delmonico's and a grandson of the man who bought and revamped the restaurant during Prohibition.
The following day on her birthday itself, Williams was spotted in a more casual aspect, wearing a bright yellow t-shirt and a pair of high-cut Daisy Dukes.
Nevertheless, she appeared cheerful and healthy during her latest outing, despite the fact that she was back aboard her mobility scooter.
Williams previously posted a cryptic message ahead of Mother's Day as she briefly opened up about the 'horrific situation' of her ongoing guardianship.
Williams is mom to son Kevin Jr., 24, whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Hunter. The pair were married from 1999 until their split in 2019 when he fathered a baby with a mistress. Their divorce was finalized the following year.
It is not known if Wendy herself wrote the post - which notably did not include a shout out to her only child.
'HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY TO ALL MOMS. We'd also like to take this time to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who have gotten behind exposing this horrific situation,' the caption read.
'Every prayer, every like, every comment, every video, every signature on our petitions, WENDY THANKS YOU!!!'
The message concluded with, 'We ask for your continued alliance as we continue to push forward with actions. Updates coming soon!!'
A floral animation was also included in the star's latest post while 'Happy Mother's Day From Wendy' popped up.
'HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY TO ALL MOMS. We'd also like to take this time to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who have gotten behind exposing this horrific situation,' the caption read
Kevin Jr. was previously embroiled in claims that he mishandled his mother's money and took a large amount from her bank account in 2022.
Wendy's funds were later frozen and court filings gave an explanation for the bank taking that step, according to People.
'Wells Fargo has strong reason to believe that [Williams] is the victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.'
The bank also made the decision due to 'reports of the financial advisor, who has recently witnessed telltale signs of exploitation, including [Williams]'s own expressed apprehensions' and 'other independent third parties who know [Williams] well and share these concerns.'
The 24-year-old later denied the allegations in the Lifetime documentary Where Is Wendy Williams?
A couple of months earlier in March of this year, it was revealed that the former talk show host has forgiven her son following the financial drama.
The star's health care advocate, Ginalisa Monterroso, informed People at the time: 'What the misconception is, what people have to understand is that Wendy told the world now that this happened three years ago.
'So that's something that they were able to get through. That will always be her son, unconditional love.
'And that's pretty much, it was big news to everybody. But again, this happened three years ago,' she continued.
It seems the pair have put the past behind them as Williams and Kevin Jr. reunited back in February to celebrate her dad's 94th birthday.
Kevin had uploaded an Instagram photo as he posed alongside his mon Wendy and her father Thomas as they flashed smiles towards the camera.
He had written, 'Happy I could make this happen for you Papa.. I said by any means and I kept my word.'
Beforehand, Williams had expressed her worry that she would not be able to leave the assisted living facility to be with her dad on his birthday.
Monterroso told the outlet, 'He was there. And that's the last part. But I do know that she continued to communicate with him. And that's her honey bunny.'
Williams was last spotted out in public on April 11 as she joined pals at Fresco by Scotto in NYC.
In photos taken at the time, the former talk show host held a big grin on her face as she enjoyed dessert with niece Alex Finnie, Baruch Shemtov and Rosanna Scotto.
One day earlier, Wendy had also left her assisted living facility - which she has compared to a 'prison' - to have dinner with Don Lemon in the Big Apple.
She had also been accompanied by niece Alex and the former CNN host's husband Tim Malone.
It came just one day after the star's guardian reportedly denied Williams from having dinner with her niece and new lawyer.
Wendy seems to have a close friendship with Lemon, and notably appeared on his podcast The Don Lemon Show earlier this year.
At the time, she expressed: 'My life is ridiculous. I've been with this guardian person for three years. For three years of my life... I'm isolated. I feel like I'm in prison. I can't go out. All I can do is look at the window.'
Lemon then questioned the star if she was 'incapacitated' and in response, Williams simply said, 'Hell f***ing no.'
Back in 2023, the TV personality was diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
When Lemon brought up her guardian's allegations, Wendy said, 'I don't know how much I can talk without being punished.'
She later added, 'I'm not in a good position. My life is screwed up. You know, this guardian mess is - please, look, I am isolated. I feel like I'm in prison. I feel like, you know, they're trying to control me and everything that I do.'
Also in April, Morrissey reportedly refused to allow Wendy to leave the assisted living facility called Coterie to have dinner with her niece and new attorney Joe Tacopina.
The star hired Tacopina - who recently represented A$AP Rocky - to help secure her freedom from her three-year conservatorship.
A #FreeWendy movement has since begun and in early April, Williams was seen banging on her window from inside the facility as supporters rallied for her below on the street.
However, Morrissey told People that Wendy is refusing to undergo certain medical tests - a MRI brain scan and neuropsychological assessment - as she aims to get out of the guardianship.
Sabrina stated, 'Medical testing, including an MRI brain scan and neuropsychological assessment, had been scheduled for Ms. Williams.' The appointment was set for March 21 - but the star did not go.
'The Court directed that the testing be completed in March. Ms. Williams has declined to participate in the testing to date and therefore, the testing was not completed.'
She added, 'The parties are not able to address the concerns that have been expressed to the media without the testing. Once Ms. Williams undergoes the testing and a full evaluation, the results will inform the next steps for Ms. Williams' care.'
However in response, Wendy also told the outlet: 'I don't know anything about that.' She then added 'bulls***' and said, 'I am open to what I am open to and I can't talk about it right now.'
In March, it was revealed that Wendy was obtaining a new legal team in a bold move to break free from the guardianship.
Ginalisa Monterroso, the CEO and founder of Connect Care Advisory Group, also informed to Page Six the importance of Williams obtaining a new legal team in order to get out of the conservatorship.
'She's just stuck in what she calls a luxury prison...There's been no plan put in place for her, no paperwork, no hearings. There was no strategy or help lined up for her at all.'
Ginalisa explained that she talks to the star almost daily and has also sent a letter to Adult Protective Services in New York.
She also told the outlet, 'A doctor in Florida first examined her in 2019 and his diagnosis was alcohol-related dementia.
'She's also had serious thyroid issues since her 30s and there's such a thing as thyroid-related dementia. She also has Graves disease which is why her eyes sometimes bulge.'
Monterroso continued, 'Whatever it is, a guardianship is supposed to be for someone who doesn't know to put on a coat in winter or doesn't remember to pay bills or wanders out and doesn't know where they are.
'That's not Wendy. So then why put an alcoholic in a memory care unit and throw away the key?'
In mid-March, her assisted living facility called the NYPD when Wendy left to grab dinner with her niece. Days later, she defiantly stepped out for dinner once again in NYC.
Attorneys for Morrissey had sent a letter to DailyMail.com and stated that the drama surrounding the guardianship is 'untrue, inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading.'
Her attorneys further said in the letter that 'contrary to many media reports, Morrissey, as guardian, did not declare Wendy Williams to be legally incapacitated' - since a guardian does not have the power to do so.
Wendy also called into Good Day New York to explain that she passed a psychiatric evaluation with 'flying colors.'
She later gave details about the living facility she is staying at and said, 'And you know, I'm on the fifth floor. It's called the memory unit. This is a floor, you know, you don't remember anything. Like really?
'And as far as me being able to go outside, I'm not allowed. You know, I have to stay in this building,' she continued, and added she needs to be 'permitted' in order to go to the gym that is located on the third floor.'
Wendy then emotionally stated that her money is 'up in the air' before saying, 'This is my life.'
Towards the end of the interview, she shared that leaving her guardianship is 'the number one most important thing.'
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