Wendy Williams has been dealing with a number of health issues in the public eye — fortunately, she has now been armed with a diagnosis to begin seeking the proper treatment.
According to TMZ, the former media personality has been diagnosed with dementia and aphasia. Over the past few years, the New Jersey native had been struggling with deteriorating mental health, poor memory, the inability to communicate and alcoholism, though she has now reportedly checked into a facility that will help her negotiate those troubles.
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A new documentary titled Where Is Wendy Williams? is set to premiere later this week that will explore her issues from 2022–2023. Prior to its release, PEOPLE got in touch with members of her family — sister Wanda Finnie and niece Alex Finnie — to discuss her current state in an article that was published on Wednesday (February 21).
“I spoke with her yesterday and I speak with her very regularly when she reaches out to me. She is, from what I understand, in a wellness, healing type of environment,” Wanda said about her sibling, whose court-appointed legal guardian is now in charge or her financial and medical decisions.
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“We cannot reach out to her, but she can reach out to us. And she is in a healing place emotionally. She’s not the person that you see in this film.”
About the upcoming film about her aunt, Alex said: “I’m proud of my aunt for taking control of her narrative because my aunt has always been such a public person and has been an open book, and we’ve all seen the images over the last few months and really few years of what has been like a spiral for my aunt.
“So for her to actually put her voice in here and take ownership of what’s happened, where she’s at present day… I think it’s powerful.”
Though Wanda and Alex aren’t fully aware of the treatment Williams is undergoing due to limited contact with her, they believe she is in a much better place and hopefully on the path to recovery.
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“I don’t know what is working, but I do know that when she did reach out to me, it was a person who is remarkably different than what we see in that documentary,” Wanda said.
Alex added: “She sounds really great. To hear my aunt now in terms of just how clear she is, just how focused she is on the importance of family and the reality in terms of facing and understanding where she’s at physically and mentally and emotionally, it is like a 180.”
