An upcoming Lifetime documentary titled “Where Is Wendy Williams?” will showcase the life and recent health struggles of iconic talk show host Wendy Williams. Williams is best known for her popular talk show, The Wendy Williams Show, which ran from 2008 to 2021. However, according to People Magazine, it was canceled after nearly 14 years on the air. Furthermore, reports suggest that its final episode aired on June 17, 2021. A spokesperson for the show stated, “The final original episode of The Wendy Williams Show will air on Friday, June 17th, with a video tribute to the iconic host”
He further said, “The series comes to an end after 13 successful years in syndication”.
The official description of Where Is Wendy Williams? reads, “After Wendy Williams was placed under a financial guardianship and her hit talk show was unexpectedly canceled, she was determined to make a career comeback. Opening the doors to her private life like never before. Cameras chronicled her comeback journey. To reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence.”
It further states, “With unparalleled access granted by Wendy. To film with her and her family for nearly two years, what was captured was not what anyone expected. 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.”
It ends with, “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?”
Why was The Wendy Williams Show canceled?
The Wendy Williams Show was canceled because the 59-year-old struggled with her health. Reports also suggest that she once even fainted live on air. A story by The Hollywood Reporter revealed Shawn Zanotti’s comment on its cancelation in the form of an email. He stated, “It has been no secret that Wendy has battled with addiction over the years. But at this time, Wendy is on the road to recovery and healing herself from her chronic illnesses. And her grievances of the past.”
He further stated, “What we do know is that Wendy has a history of chronic illness that she has publicly spoken about.”
Interestingly, according to Entertainment Weekly, Wendy Williams kept forgetting that her show was canceled. Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury, had a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. In the interview, they revealed that they had to tell Wendy repeatedly that her show was ending. Bernstein stated, “I said, ‘We haven’t heard from you, and we had to make a decision.’ We should have made one in November, but we pushed it to January or February, and by then, it was like, ‘Make a decision or lose the time period.”
Bernstein further said, “She said, ‘Well, what’s going to air at 10 o’clock?’ I told her, ‘Sherri’s going to air at 10 o’clock.’ ‘So, can I go on at 11?’ I said, ‘We’d love to work with you, and there are lots of ways and lots of buyers, but you need to come back, and we need to know that you’re OK.”
The Wendy Williams Show was replaced by Sherri, a talk show hosted by Sherri Shepherd. The new show premiered on September 12, 2022.
