The new Lifetime documentary Where is Wendy Williams? just released its first trailer.
Lifetime says Williams is “opening the doors to her private life like never before” and is giving “unparalleled access” to the network “to film with her and her family for nearly two years.” As Lifetime states, “What was captured was not what anyone expected.” Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and programming head of A&E, Lifetime and LMN, says fans will get “all of the tea on Williams and her life.”
“Wendy has been a part of the Lifetime family for over a decade and during that time, we partnered with Wendy for her revealing biopic and doc,” she added. “But her story is not finished. There is so much more to it. Nobody truly knew the depths of Wendy’s reality so we hope that what our cameras captured can help shine a light on what she is facing now.”
From Creature Films, executive producer Mark Ford says, “This was a complex project–and it became a labor of love for everyone involved. We are grateful to Wendy and her family for their utmost commitment to honesty, even when painful–in this documentary.”
In the documentary, Williams is quoted saying, “I’m gonna tell you something, if it happens to me, it could happen to you.”
Here’s more tea about the documentary:
Over the course of nearly two years, cameras chronicled the former television host and radio star Wendy Williams’ on the next phase of her life, following the end of her iconic talk show. The documentary provides a raw, honest and unfiltered reality of Wendy’s life after she was placed under financial guardianship, shedding light on the vulnerabilities that has turned Wendy into the Hot Topic herself. Suffering mental and physical issues, Wendy’s delicate state of mind, erratic behavior and declining health were all captured by the cameras. Where is Wendy Williams? is the story of Wendy’s journey to resurrect her career, and what filmmakers discovered along the way. But many questions remain – who truly has Wendy’s best interest at heart? Is she healthy now? And Where is Wendy Williams?
As reported by Shadow and Act, “Lifetime will air messaging supporting resources like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), NAMI for Mental Health Resources, and information about lymphedema and Graves’s Disease.”
On a tender note, Williams is producing the documentary with her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., Tara Long, Mark Ford, Pat Lambert, and Erica Hanson serves as showrunner. Lifetime’s Brie Miranda Bryant also serves as executive producer.
Wendy Williams has built her reputation as a long-time talk show host and entertainment news provocateur, making her world renown for her career in these roles. However, in the dynamic world of entertainment journalism, Wendy Williams has kept her finger on the pulse of many of pop culture’s greatest genres, including hip hop. The fearless entertainment journalist has long been a force to be reckoned with, known for her unabashed opinions and brash approach to discussing celebrity gossip on air. Among the many targets of her candid commentary, several rappers have found themselves in the crosshairs of Wendy Williams’ unfiltered ire.
The prolific talk show host’s rap beefs date back to the 1990s, with a long history of heated conflicts with notable music figures. From fiery on-air exchanges to social media spats, each episode serves as a riveting chapter in the ongoing saga of Wendy Williams’ intriguing relationship with the hip-hop community. Here are 7 instances of Williams’ greatest rap feuds.
Wendy Williams has sparked beef with a constant stream of media figures throughout her decades-long career. One recurring theme the host just can’t seem to let go of is her constant and seemingly random accusations that rappers are secretly homosexual. One such recipient of these claims is Sean Combs, AKA Diddy.
Back in 1998, while she was hosting a HOT 97 radio show, Williams launched a tirade about how the Bad Boy co-founder was secretly gay, and actively paying millions of dollars in hush money to media outlets to keep this secret under wraps. Obviously, what celebrities do with other consenting adults is of no business to anyone but themselves or their partners, but it bears reminding that there has never been any evidence to back up these bizarre claims, to begin with.
At the time, as one of the world’s biggest names in rap, Diddy wielded significant influence over the entertainment news media. He utilized his power to temporarily remove Wendy Williams from the air. While the move may have benefitted Diddy in the short term, it seemed to confirm to some conspiracy-minded individuals that Williams had struck a nerve, leading to these rumors persisting to this day.
6. Tupac Shakur
Wendy Williams wasn’t content to keep her ire on one side of the East Coast-West Coast divide, either, as she had already been embroiled in a feud with Tupac in 1995. Like the beef with Diddy, Williams’s back-and-forth with Shakur began over unsubstantiated claims of the rappers’ sexual activity. Williams took to the air to suggest that Tupac had been sexually assaulted by fellow prisoners while serving a sentence in Clinton Correctional Facility. This unsubstantiated rumor sparked a diplomatic response from Tupac’s media team, who released a statement referencing the host’s history of making unfounded controversial remarks.
Tupac Shakur personally responded with considerably less diplomacy, mentioning Wendy Williams on the track “Why U Turn On Me?” The lyrics, which reference Williams and her role in spreading the rumor, contain profanity and borderline threats. This underscores once again Tupac’s unparalleled prowess in the realm of verbal warfare.
5. Will Smith
In Fact When Eminem dissed on Real Slim Shady Will Smith not only did he respond but went at Larry Elder and Wendy Williams. pic.twitter.com/0tKRKcKzIK
Long before Will Smith was slapping his wife’s name out of Chris Rock’s mouth, the rapper-turned-actor found himself feuding with Wendy Williams on wax. Apparently, Williams had offered one too many deep dives into Will Smith’s personal life, including releasing photos and commentary about Smith’s daughter without his consent. This prompted the Fresh Prince to clap back on the song “Mr. Nice Guy.”
In the song, Smith raps “Wendy Williams, you don’t know me. I’m not your punchin’ bag, you gon’ blow me off, girl. Better leave me alone, before I buy your radio station and send you home.” While the 2005 track was decidedly less vulgar than the Tupac Shakur track which preceded it a decade earlier, it still got the message across that Will Smith wouldn’t take criticism of his family lying down.
Like many of the rappers on this list, Lil Kim’s beef with Wendy Williams was sparked when Williams took to the entertainment news desk to spread hot Hollywood gossip. In this instance, Williams prodded Lil Kim for getting a number of cosmetic surgeries done on her face and neck, spending whole segments of her show bullying the “Crush On You” rapper for her looks. Kim responded with a flurry of angry tweets, calling Wendy a “hating b***h” and accusing her of trying and failing to secure a romantic relationship with the late Notorious B.I.G. back in the ’90s.
Despite Wendy Williams’s penchant for publicizing people’s problems, some media figures were still gullible enough to confide in the entertainment news host as a friend. One such example is Master P, who privately discussed his estranged relationship with his family with Williams in 2014. Later that year, Williams publicized details of P’s private life, including personal details about his wife and children, even claiming that “the family could do better” than having Master P as a patriarch.
Master P responded with a sorrowful lament of his misguided relationship with Williams, stating, “First of all, I thought Wendy Williams was my friend. I understand that her job is to entertain gossip but how could she keep picking up TMZ gossip as if it was real news when she should have contacted me directly if she was really concerned about my family, or me like she claims. If anyone understands being in the media and having to deal with celebrity personal family gossip and betrayal, she should know because of her own situation. If she wants to know the truth, as my friend, she should call me directly to get the facts and the truth rather than joining the media circus and talking trash.”
In 2006 Wendy Williams sparked one of her most pathetic and invasive feuds ever, by revealing to the public on her WBLS radio show that Method Man’s wife, Tamika Smith had been diagnosed with cancer. While it’s unclear exactly where she heard this information, Method Man made it clear that he and his wife wanted that information to remain private as they navigated the difficult process of seeking treatment. In subsequent interviews, Method Man has spoken about how disrespected he and Tamika felt by Williams’s on-air discussion of the diagnosis, with the Wu-Tang rapper stating, “Her family members didn’t even know she was sick. You can attack me anyway you want to. I’m in the entertainment business, but don’t attack my family.”
Unfortunately, instead of seeing the error of her ways, Williams has continued this feud over the years, including claiming in 2021 that she had engaged in a one-night stand with Meth back in the day. Tamika finally broke her silence on the subject by lashing out at Williams in a public statement. This beef proves that, despite her assertion that she is a fixture within hip hop culture, Wendy Williams must have missed the memo that the Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to f*** with.
If anyone could rival Wendy Williams for the position of most petty provocateur in pop culture and entertainment, it’s 50 Cent. The pair have clashed numerous times over the years, giving rise to a series of hilarious social media posts and talk show segments as a result of their ongoing beef. Similar to many other rappers, Wendy Williams accused 50 Cent of being secretly gay and criticized him on air for his comments expressing joy at the prospect of no longer paying child support.
Likewise, 50 Cent took to social media to share doctored photos of Williams in the poster for Beauty and the Beast, making fun of her looks and body type, and calling her a crackhead through numerous online roasts. Though the beef has been cold for a few years now, both Wendy Williams and 50 Cent have a long history of bringing up old feuds decades later for a cheap laugh, meaning this beef could reignite at a moment’s notice.
Charlamagne Tha God says he’s wishing the best for Wendy Williams’ health, but that the two haven’t had a relationship for years. He spoke about his former radio partner with The U.S. Sun at the 5th Annual Pow(H)er Awards in New York City, earlier this month. The last time Williams was spotted in public was in N.Y.C. in February. At the time, she appeared frail amid ongoing health concerns.
Charlamagne told the outlet: “I just pray that she’s in good health, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically. I care about that more than I care about anything media-related. Even if we don’t have a relationship, you want to see people always going out with the plane landing with the wheels coming out. You don’t want to see people crash. At least I don’t.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 16: Charlamagne Tha God speaks during the Support Your Girlfriend’s POW(H)ER Experience Awards 2023 on November 16, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
As for whether he’d ever want to interview her, he admitted he “never thought about it.” The Breakfast Club host added that they haven’t spoken for “years.” He said: “I’m not even thinking about stuff like that. You want to see a person like that, you know, you heard that she was having some type of health issues, and you want to see her get back on her feet. That’s what I care about.” Charlamagne worked on The Wendy Williams Experience from 2006 through 2008. He has said Wendy’s ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, fired him after a business deal gone wrong.
At the Pow(H)er Awards, Charlamagne was honored with the first-ever Power(H)im Award. The ceremony came as The Breakfast Club is searching for a new co-host to replace DJ Envy, who got roped up in Cesar Pina’s alleged real estate fraud scam. Be on the lookout for further updates on Charlamagne Tha God as well as Wendy Williams on HotNewHipHop.
Back in May, fans were concerned when former daytime talk show host Wendy Williams was a no-show at the Women’s Expo in Atlanta. The beloved gossip queen was scheduled to host the event but shocked fans when she canceled at the last minute. Now reports are claiming Wendy’s team never reimbursed promoters the money for the canceled appearance.
The Sun reports:
WENDY Williams’ management never returned the full $25,000 payment for the Women’s Expo appearance after her team canceled the gig, The U.S. Sun has exclusively learned.
The U.S. Sun exclusively obtained copies of wire transfers, as well as email correspondences between Wendy’s team including her manager Will Selby, publicist Shawn Zanotti, and entertainment attorney Deborah Hrbek in the aftermath of the event.
Wendy, 59, canceled her appearance as the headline speaker just days before she was set to appear at the May 20 event due to health concerns.
Wire transfers revealed that the full initial payment for the event was sent to Wendy’s publicist’s company, Exact Publicity, but after the star backed out at the last minute, the Expo was left to scramble for a replacement speaker, whom they had to also pay.
In three separate wire transfers back to the Expo, Wendy’s publicist’s company sent back $12,500 on May 17 immediately after her client officially backed out of the gig, and then another $1,250 on June 9.
Wendy’s manager Will only sent back $1,250 on June 12.
After those transfers, no other money was sent back to the company and to this day, the Expo remains out at least $15,000, according to sources familiar with the transactions.
Additionally, in emails reviewed by The U.S. Sun, the Expo attempted to have the rest of the money sent back from Wendy’s team, however, the star’s new entertainment lawyer Deborah suggested that it was Shawn’s PR company that had signed onto the event and not Wendy herself.
Despite Wendy filming promotional videos for the event, and her manager Will sending the Expo back money from the company he created- The Wendy Experience Inc – her attorney suggested that her publicist Shawn wasn’t authorized to book the star for this engagement.
In one email reviewed by The U.S. Sun sent on June 23, Wendy’s attorney wrote: “I am doing my best to help here despite the fact that Shawn had no authority to enter this agreement on behalf of Wendy or any entity owned by her.”
Wendy Williams is sidestepping her frozen bank accounts by opening a new one. The famed TV host is attempting to get the cash she once had access to transferred to her new account.
According to Radar Online, Williams opened a secret account to attempt to move her money away from Wells Fargo, who previously frozen her assets, citing she needed a “guardianship.” Williams is also accused of attempting to sell off some of her personal items to friends.
“Wendy is getting rid of items for spring cleaning, this is what people do this time of year,” a rep stated. “It’s a new chapter for Wendy and she wants new things. This is a common gesture people do and Wendy is no different.”
Williams’ accounts were frozen out of fear of “financial exploitation, dementia, or undue influence.”
It was reported last month that when Wendy Williams’ ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, tried to get alimony last year to pay off his debt for his mortgage, credit card bills, and other debts, rumors abounded. Wendy ceased paying Kevin’s alimony, so his house is now in foreclosure and up for sale.
In Parkland, Florida, Kevin owns a 3,425-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-bathroom single-family home that is now under contract. Kevin paid $795k for the house in 2020. He put the house up for sale in April for $1.3 million. The property was under contract and awaited final permission on June 29.
A few months after Wendy and Kevin’s divorce was finalized, Kevin and Sharina relocated from New Jersey to Florida. The choice to sell the pad was made after Kevin’s unsuccessful court battle earlier this year regarding his alimony payments from Wendy. Despite being required per their divorce agreement, Kevin claimed that his paychecks ceased arriving in early 2022.
Wendy Williams, the iconic television host, businesswoman, and author, has made a significant mark in the entertainment industry. As of 2023, her net worth stands at an impressive $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. But how did she amass such wealth? Let’s delve into her journey.
Born on July 18, 1964, in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Wendy was the second of three children. The Williams family relocated to Ocean Township, NJ, when Wendy was just five. She pursued her education at Ocean Township High School and later attended Northeastern University. There, she not only earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications but also began her journey in the world of radio as a DJ for the college radio station WRBB.
Wendy Williams during 2003 Tribeca Film Festival – Death of a Dynasty Premiere at Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Wendy’s initial professional stint in radio was at WVIS in the Virgin Islands. Her talent soon brought her to New York City’s WRKS as a substitute DJ. Over the years, she transitioned between various radio stations, with her candid discussions about personal struggles, including miscarriages and former drug addiction, resonating with many. Her groundbreaking interview with Whitney Houston further solidified her position in the radio world. By 2009, Wendy had made such an impact that she was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 17: Wendy Williams attends the Build Series to discuss her daytime talk show ‘The Wendy Williams Show’ at Build Studio on April 17, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage)
In 2008, Wendy was given a six-week trial for her television talk show by Debmar-Mercury. The show’s success led to its national syndication, with BET also acquiring cable rights. Over its run, The Wendy Williams Show attracted an average of 2.4 million daily viewers and aired more than 1,500 episodes across 13 seasons. Wendy’s charisma and unique style made her show a favorite, especially among women aged 25-54 in the U.S.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 17: Wendy Williams attends her being honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 17, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Beyond her talk show, Wendy ventured into acting, appearing in TV shows and films like Martin, One Life To Live, and World War Z. She also tried her hand at stand-up comedy, launching comedy tours and even establishing her reality TV production company, Wendy Williams Productions, in 2013.
Wendy’s entrepreneurial spirit didn’t stop there. She penned several books, including Wendy’s Got The Heat and Ask Wendy: Straight-Up Advice For All The Drama in Your Life. Additionally, she collaborated with the Home Shopping Network (HSN) to debut her clothing line in 2015 and introduced a jewelry line on QVC called Adorn by Wendy Williams.
Read More:
Personal Struggles And Triumphs
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 19: Television host Wendy Williams attends the Vulture Festival Presented By AT&T – Milk Studios, Day 1 at Milk Studios on May 19, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Vulture Festival)
Wendy has always been open about her health challenges, including her battles with hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease, and lymphedema. In 2022, concerns about her health led to her bank freezing her accounts, prompting a court hearing to assess her health conditions.
On the personal front, Wendy faced challenges in her marriage to Kevin Hunter, with allegations of infidelity and abuse. The couple, who welcomed a son in 2000, eventually divorced in 2019 after 22 years of marriage.
As of 2023, there have been reports of Wendy selling her belongings in preparation for a move to Los Angeles. While the future holds many possibilities, one thing is certain: Wendy Williams has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, and her net worth of $20 million is a testament to her hard work, resilience, and unmatched talent.
Last week Wendy Williams’ son, Kevin Hunter Jr., gave his first interview ever and said his mother’s mental and physical health has been in jeopardy since being placed under guardianship last year. He admitted he had no contact with his estranged mom and accused her new inner circle of using her and claims he fears for her life.
Now Kevin claims he was threatened with arrest if he didn’t return his mother to New York after she was placed under guardianship.
The Sun reports:
Wendy Williams’ son, Kevin Hunter Jr, was threatened with arrest if he didn’t send his ailing mother back to New York City from Florida, he exclusively revealed to The U.S. Sun.
Wendy’s only child, 22, claimed that Judge Lisa Sokoloff- who is overseeing the troubled host’s guardianship case- said she would charge him with kidnapping if he didn’t assist in getting the star back to New York while he was helping take care of her in 2022.
Kevin told The U.S. Sun exclusively: “The judge threatened me with arrest and said I’d be held in contempt if I didn’t bring her back to New York.”
Kevin said he was also threatened with arrest if he tried to bring her back to Florida after she was returned to New York.
“I’m so scared that I haven’t really been up there to see her since the courts,” Kevin said, referring to the May 2022 decision by Judge Sokoloff to appoint Sabrina Morrissey as permanent guardian to oversee Wendy’s affairs.
“When they hear I’m coming to visit, they try to change things up, like they have to prepare for me,” Wendy’s son said, regarding the legal entities who manage his 58-year-old mother.
Kevin said he wished there was more he could do to intervene to get his mother the care she needs, and to help her prioritize her health over the work commitments she’s been engaged in over the past year.
But legally, his hands have been tied by the guardianship case.
“If there was a way that I could help that wouldn’t end up [with me] being arrested, I would be doing that,” he added.
The U.S. Sun reached out to a representative of Judge Sokoloff and the New York Courts for comment, who responded: “As this is a pending matter it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
While it has been widely reported that Wendy Williams is no longer hospitalized, her son Kevin is apparently still very concerned for his mother’s health and well-being….as well as the company that she has been keeping.
In a rare interview, Kevin Hunter Jr., 22, spoke to The Sun about his concerns surrounding his mother’s inner circle- namely her manager Will Selby. Hunter said that Selby and others have been not only taking advantage of Williams’ wealth, but also enabling her to drink despite an ongoing battle with severe alcoholism.
Following the cancellation of the Wendy Williams Show in 2022, Williams had reportedly gone to rehab for a few months, but also allegedly relapsed last spring. Last month, she had been reportedly hospitalized for about two weeks as a result of her alcoholism and other health struggles.
Hunter said that no one from Wendy’s team had informed him that Williams had left the hospital or even told him of her whereabouts.
In The Suninterview, Hunter explained that he was very concerned for his mother’s health, saying: “There are a lot of people who are very aware that there is an issue with her drinking, and how that issue may be helped, but I think these people are taking advantage of it while allowing it to play out to make it look like they aren’t causing the issue.”
He also said that her circle believes that she needs to continue to earn money so that they can profit from her financially. He said that “what’s been made more important by the people around her is that while her health may not be great, she needs to keep on earning income, and in my opinion that should not be a priority at all. And whoever has been hired – they are taking advantage of someone who needs to get better.”
So far, reps for Williams have not issued a public statement.
Wendy Williams representatives are shutting down a report the famed talk show host and radio personality recently checked into a medical facility twice in the past two weeks.
“I can confirm that Wendy Williams is not in the hospital, as reported. I can also confirm she is not in New York, as reported,” Shawn Zanotti, Wendy’s publicist, said to Page Six.
Last week, a source disclosed to The Sun she had a brief hospital stay last weekend and returned just a day later.
A location for Williams was not disclosed, but recently, Williams missed a speaking engagement at the Atlanta Women’s Expo.
In April, rumors swirled that former talk show host Wendy Williams was spotted filming a reality TV show at Fresco by Scotto Tuesday in New York City. Now, Wendy’s brother confirms that a show is indeed the works and that she filmed with her family over the Easter holiday.
In a video posted on his YouTube Channel, Tommy Williams expresses his disappointment that Wendy brought a film crew for her first visit in years and only stayed for one day.He said they were able to fuse some family time in and that she seems clear and focused and happy at where she is inlife. He also added that Wendy had some “strange-looking dudes” hanging around.
“Family always has your back,” Tommy said. “Big shout out to my big sister Wendy Williams for showing up. It meant the world.”
Andy Cohen says that Wendy Williams asked to join the cast of The Real Housewives of New York City back in May 2022. He explained why he decided to turn down the request during a section of his new memoir, The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up. Cohen says that appearing on the show wouldn’t have been good for Williams. She had been struggling with her mental health at the time.
“Had this call come a year earlier, it would’ve been a brilliant idea,” Cohen wrote. “If she is struggling with mental health issues, though, this isn’t the time. Her enthusiasm was infectious, though when I was explaining the idea of Legacy and the brand-new show, she just wanted to focus on the last version. So the conversation didn’t go anywhere.”
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 12: Wendy Williams and Andy Cohen attend New York Women In. Film And Television’s 33rd Annual Muse Awards at New York Hilton on December 12, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage)
In the past, Williams has publically shot down having any interest in ever appearing on RHONY. “No, I won’t be a member of The Real Housewives of New York City,” Wendy said on her talk show in July 2019. “First off, you’re not coming to my apartment. You’re not checking out who I date. There would be so many no no nos that you would be bored with me.”
Williams’ rep, Shawn Zanotti, recently confirmed that her client is back to filming. “After taking a long break, Wendy feels some of the best days of her life were in media,” she said. “She has been in media since her early 20’s and wants to return to what she loves…Yes, Wendy is filming…Yes, she is gearing up for something and the specifics of that can’t be disclosed as of yet.”
Elsewhere in the book, Cohen reflects on his drunken rant about Bill de Blasio on CNN’s New Year’s Eve show, dissing Ryan Seacrest, his son Ben and daughter Lucy, and much more.
(@OfficiallyQuise) 
