As Wendy Williams rang in her 61st birthday on Friday, July 18, the iconic media personality made one wish crystal clear: she wants to be free.
While stepping out to celebrate with two of her attorneys and longtime collaborator Suzanne Bass at Delmonico’s in Manhattan, the former daytime talk show host was asked what she wanted for her birthday.
Her answer was immediate and unfiltered:
“To get out of guardianship.”
Williams has been under a court-ordered legal guardianship since May 2022 and currently resides in a wellness facility in New York City. For more than two years, she’s claimed that the arrangement strips her of personal freedom, leaving her, in her words, trapped in a “luxury prison.”
Public Pleas and a Growing Movement
Despite her court-appointed guardian’s insistence that she is “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled and legally incapacitated,” Williams has fought back with growing urgency.
In a rare interview earlier this year, she told Don Lemon on The Don Lemon Show:
“Hell f—— no,” when asked if she considers herself incapacitated.
“I feel like I’m in prison. I can’t go out. All I can do is look out the window.”
Williams has made multiple public pleas for help. In April, rallies were held in both New York and Los Angeles by fans advocating for her release from guardianship.
Williams told PEOPLE that the support was “nice” and gave her hope.
“It will absolutely 1000% happen,” she said of ending the guardianship.
Legal Challenges and Family Complications
In June, Williams’ ex-husband Kevin Hunter filed a bombshell lawsuit against her current guardian, Sabrina E. Morrissey, accusing her and others of abuse, mismanagement, and violating Williams’ constitutional rights.
The suit seeks a jury trial and $250 million in damages for financial loss, emotional distress, and reputational harm.
Notably, Hunter is not asking for the guardianship to be ended, but rather replaced by a “new impartial guardian.” The lawsuit also demands Williams’ release from what Hunter calls “involuntary confinement.”
However, Williams swiftly distanced herself from her ex-husband’s legal actions.
“I had no idea,” she told TMZ when asked about the lawsuit.
“Nor do I want him to be a part of my life like that, no, because I’m divorced forever.”
The Battle Ahead
While the legal team managing her guardianship remains firm that the arrangement is necessary for her wellbeing, Williams continues to argue that she is mentally capable and wants her autonomy back.
This year’s birthday may not have come with cake and balloons, but for Wendy Williams, the real gift she wants is control over her own life.
As she steps into another year, her supporters and legal advocates are watching closely to see if the courts will grant her that freedom.
