Wendy Williams Was 'Sharp, Upbeat and Aware' During Rare Outing Amid Her Dementia Battle: Source

Wendy Williams seems to be doing well less than a year after her dementia diagnosis was revealed.

On August 19, the former daytime diva, 60, stepped out with her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., 24, for the first time since March 2023, to make a trip to a holistic store called Bolingo Balance in Newark, N.J.

According to a staffer at the store, Williams was "sharp, upbeat, aware and very bubbly" during her shopping experience.

"She was engaging but wasn’t as familiar with what we do here, so her son was more explaining things," they added.

The happy update comes as the former disk jockey was diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia at the start of the year. Due to her increasing mental decline since 2021, Williams was put under financial guardianship in 2022, and her family has claimed they have been denied access to her.

“Wendy Williams' family is unable to speak on her current condition and location due to ongoing litigation and the fact that they have largely been denied contact,” a source claimed. “They are all rooting and praying for Wendy and want to express their well wishes as she celebrates her 60th birthday.”

The Wendy Williams Show alum's longtime best friend Regina Schell even spoke out about not being able to contact Williams. "Talking is Wendy's life, her whole claim to fame is talking, and I don't think she would be this quiet unless she was forced to be quiet," the concerned pal said in a recent interview.

"Where is Wendy and why is no one asking that question? And why is no one answering that question?" she asked. "Why can't they produce Wendy, or an actual statement from Wendy, or a picture of Wendy? Where is Wendy?! I haven't spoken to my friend, who I spoke to five times a day, in over a year now. She's somewhere that she can't reach a phone because Wendy can always get to a phone, because if she could get to a phone, she'd be calling me."

In March 2023, the media mogul's team announced her shocking diagnosis after questioning about her well-being were left unanswered since she left her talk show in 2021.

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!

"In 2023, after undergoing a battery of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Aphasia, a condition affecting language and communication abilities, and frontotemporal dementia, a progressive disorder impacting behavior and cognitive functions, have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy's life," the statement read.

In Touch spoke with the employee about Williams.