Wendy Williams’ Guardian Sues A&E, Alleging Exploitation In Documentary
Wendy Williams’ guardian has submitted a new complaint against Lifetime’s parent company, A&E Television Networks, along with Lifetime Entertainment Services, EOne Productions, Creature Films, and its executive producer, Mark Ford, according to PEOPLE.
The guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, filed the suit in New York Supreme Court on Monday, Sept. 16, about seven months after Lifetime’s controversial documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? premiered. The documentary, which aired on Feb. 24 and 25, delves into Williams’ life under guardianship. Morrissey had previously attempted to stop the premiere in court but was unsuccessful.
“As is patently obvious from the very first few minutes of the Program itself, W.W.H. was highly vulnerable and clearly incapable of consenting to being filmed, much less humiliated and exploited,” the 75-page complaint alleges. “When the Guardian discovered that Defendants’ true intentions were to portray W.W.H. in a highly demeaning and embarrassing manner, she immediately sought to protect and to preserve her dignity. But the defendants fought to move ahead… without a valid contract and released without the Guardian’s consent.”
Since May 2022, the former Wendy Williams Show host has been under a legal court-ordered guardianship that manages both her finances and health. For over a year, she has resided in an undisclosed facility to address cognitive issues after being diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in May 2023.
In a statement from February 2024, her care team at Weill Cornell Medical Center publicly disclosed these diagnoses, explaining that Williams had undergone various tests after she began “losing words, acting erratically at times, and struggling to comprehend financial transactions.”
The lawsuit claims Williams’ signature, allegedly signed on Jan. 25, 2023, was forged. There is no evidence she had signed the contract, as she was incapacitated and unable to provide consent at that time. Furthermore, the complaint asserts that Guardian Morrissey was not involved in the production or contract process and only became aware of the document months later.
According to the lawsuit, Williams received “a paltry” payment for her participation.
After the release of Where Is Wendy Williams?, Morrissey asserted that A&E Television Networks and its affiliates “made millions” from the documentary series, while Williams allegedly received just $82,000.
Morrissey is seeking that all profits from the series be directed toward covering Williams’ substantial healthcare costs. The complaint also requests that the court prohibit A&E from any further broadcasts, sales, or releases of the documentary.
