NEWSWheelchair-Bound Wendy Williams Makes Rare Appearance and Gets Emotional at Son's College Graduation: Watch
Wendy Williams made a rare public appearance at her son's college graduation amid her dementia battle.
Wendy Williams made a rare public appearance to support her one and only son, Kevin Hunter Jr., at his college graduation despite her ongoing health struggles.
On Thursday, December 19, the former talk show host was seen in Miami, Fla., attending the ceremony while in an electric wheelchair, wearing a black glittery dress with a plunging V-neck and three-quarter sleeves.
Wendy Williams reunited with her family — father Thomas Williams and sister Wanda Finnie.
In an emotional moment captured on video, Williams sat in a crowded hall as her son, whom she shares with ex Kevin Hunter, received his Economics diploma from the Florida International University’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.
Wendy Williams is rare seen out and about amid her health battle.
Her sister, Wanda Finnie, sat beside her and offered her some gum, though Wendy declined, while her father, Thomas Williams, was also seated to her left.
In another clip, Wendy was seen driving around the area, wide-eyed, with a few armed guards surrounding her.
The TV icon was present during her son's graduation.
Fans took to social media, expressing their love and support for the TV icon.
One user wrote, “She looks better than the last time I saw her. Glad she’s doing good!”
Another shared, “I’m glad her family is taking good care of her.”
A third fan wrote, “She looks great!!! Love you Wendy ❤️,” while a fourth commented, “I just watched all of her new documentaries recently and it makes me so happy to see she’s finally with her family. Sitting next to her sister. 😭🥹.”
One fan sent positive vibes, commenting, “Yes Queen !! Heal ♥️.”
However, not all comments were positive. “Sabrina Morrissey is a scammer and a fraud. That lady was assigned to Wendy’s case by a judge who are friends with Sabrina teacup colored a--,” one person wrote, referring to her court-appointed guardian.
Wendy Williams was diagnosed with Graves' disease in 2018.
As OK! previously reported, Wanda revealed that the family had lost contact with Wendy, who was diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 2018, lymphedema and alcohol-related brain damage in 2019 and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023.
Wendy Williams was recently diagnosed with dementia.
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“The people who love her cannot see her,” Wanda said in a 2023 interview with People. “I think the big [question] is: How the h--- did we get here?”
Wanda and other family members claimed they hadn’t been kept in the loop about Wendy’s health, with no updates since the fall of 2021.
"How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is healthy one minute to this person who’s in and out of the hospital?" Wanda questioned.
Wanda also wondered why Sabrina was reportedly the only person with unrestricted access to Wendy.
“How is that system better than the system the family could put in place?” she asked. “I don’t know. I do know that this system is broken. I hope that at some point, Wendy becomes strong enough where she can speak on her own behalf.”
In recent court filings, Sabrina stated that Wendy is “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated,” as part of a legal dispute with A+E Networks over the Lifetime documentary Where Is Wendy Williams?
Sabrina requested that the court approve “narrowly applied redactions” to protect Wendy’s privacy in the ongoing legal battle.
Wendy Williams was seen riding around Miami, Fla.
The legal documents state, “This case arises from the brutally calculated, deliberate actions of powerful and cravenly opportunistic media companies working together with a producer to knowingly exploit [Williams]. FTD is a progressive disease, meaning that there is no cure and the symptoms only get worse over time.”
A&E, however, fired back with a counterclaim, asserting that neither Wendy nor her guardian ever attempted to halt production or question the validity of Wendy's contract.
“We also describe how Williams’ manager Will Selby saw the Documentary and its trailer before they aired and expressed enthusiastic support. Williams’ family members also watched the Documentary before its release, expressed support, and even participated in press interviews connected to its launch,” the network said in their statement.
Wendy Williams' guardian claimed that she is 'cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated.'
More than a month after her current mental health status was disclosed in court filings, Wendy was spotted smiling in the back seat of a black SUV during a visit to Sho’nuff Oysters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday, December 15.
TMZ obtained the photos during the graduation ceremony.
