A source with close ties to former television and radio personality Wendy Williams is speaking up about the star’s lonely life since her empire crumbled in early 2022.
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, the insider said that Williams has now become a recluse who no longer sees any of her friends but calls sporadically to provide empty updates on her life. The source also worries that her long-awaited podcast will never take off like her reps have said in the press recently.
“She’s been calling people saying like ‘Hey, let’s have dinner,’ but she’s acting like all this time hasn’t passed,” the source revealed. “When you finally do get her to give you an update about how she’s been she goes off into these tangents about being single, looking for love, and all this other stuff. It’s this out-of-the-blue call with no update on how she’s doing or anything.”
A second insider pointed out that on her yet-to-be-launched podcast website, there is a sign-up form to be a guest on the show, but notes that there have not been any official talks from any networks or stations about when the episodes will debut.
“This sign-up form for random people to appear on her podcast is a little strange,” the source said.
But according to the podcast’s official Instagram page, the media personality who dominated airwaves for 13 seasons is back and ready for work. In a rare clip posted online, she said she’s “just happy to be here” after a short-term stay at a wellness facility last year.
“Happy holidays!” the New Jersey star said. “Tis the season for the winter. Listen, don’t forget to check out your favorite Wendy Experiencemerchandise. I don’t know what else you’re doing. I’m just happy to be here…and well…happy to be here.”
Williams’ team has been promoting the upcoming podcast The Wendy Williams Experience since it was announced that her run as host of her show was coming to an end.
Issues about Williams’ health began to surface after she passed out live on air during The Wendy Williams Show. After regaining consciousness during a commercial break, she came back on air and told viewers she was “fine.”
At the time, she said she passed out from overheating in a Statue of Liberty costume she was wearing for Halloween. Since then, she would occasionally take breaks from the show for health reasons. The show was eventually canceled in 2022 after 13 seasons on air. Months later, Wells Fargo froze her assets, claiming she was not mentally able to manage her own funds.
“I went through a period of substance abuse. Earlier in my career I was with the cocaine and it was a mess. I was functioning but it was a mess,” she told Dr. Oz in a 2018 interview. “It was 12 years of my life partying hard…I woke up one day and I said no more.”
Since then, she has mostly stayed out of the public eye, only making a few appearances.
In one emotional interview, Williams began to cry as she walked onstage for a Circle of Sisters event hosted by her former employer WBLS, where she worked for eight years before leaving to pursue TV full-time.
“These are tears of laughter,” she said. “But also tears of sincere just thank you.”
But despite the woes she has faced, the 58-year-old is ready to go full throttle again, according to her rep Shawn Zanotti. In an E! News interview, he dished about how eager he is to have his client come back on the scene and continued to promote merchandise from the upcoming podcast.
“The gear features comfortable hoodies and caps featuring many of Wendy’s famous quotes. Shirts lined with words like ‘How You Doin’, ‘Excuse Me’ and many more classic Wendy sayings.”
