As rumors about Wendy Williams’ wellness continue to swirl, her treatment team discovered that she’s been diagnosed with main progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. A press release from Feb. 22, 2024 confirmed that “after going through a battery of medical tests,” Williams was identified with both equally conditions in 2023.
Frontotemporal dementia, also known as FTD, is a progressive problem that effects cognitive purpose and tends to result in alterations in behavior, speech and disposition. Main progressive aphasia is a subtype of FTD impacting interaction, like speech, producing and the means to have an understanding of language.
The statement discussed that Williams’ circumstances have “presented significant hurdles” in the star’s’ existence, acknowledging the ongoing speculation about Williams’ health and fitness.
“Over the past few many years, questions have been raised at situations about Wendy’s capacity to process information and lots of have speculated about Wendy’s ailment, significantly when she commenced to eliminate terms, act erratically at situations, and have issue understanding monetary transactions,” the launch stated. It extra that the determination to share this news was tough, but in carrying out so, Williams and her crew are hoping to raise consciousness about aphasia and FTD.
This announcement will come just two days just before Williams’ return to tv. Two several years following canceling her hit speak display, the previous “The Wendy WilliamsShow” host and her relatives will deal with the speculation regarding Williams’ wellness and cognitive abilities in a new Life time documentary, “Where Is Wendy Williams?”coming out Feb. 24, 2024.
Considering the fact that canceling her daytime talk display, Williams, 59, has held comparatively silent about her wellbeing in spite of mounting rumors. But come Saturday, viewers will get updates on her wellness and how she received listed here. Right until then, here’s what else to know about Williams’ wellbeing:
Williams was identified with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia in 2023
Williams was diagnosed with principal progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023, according to the Feb. 22 assertion. “Receiving a prognosis has enabled Wendy to acquire the clinical care she involves,” the statement extra.
Main progressive aphasia is a form of FTD that usually results in no extended remaining ready to communicate, go through, compose or comprehend what persons are declaring, according to the Affiliation for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
FTD is prompted by shrinking in the frontal and temporal lobes of the mind, which manage temperament, conduct and language. Dependent on which elements of the mind are impacted, anyone may possibly practical experience character improvements, these as behaving erratically, inappropriately, or starting to be distant, according to Mayo Clinic.
FTD is sometimes misdiagnosed as a psychological well being situation or Alzheimer’s disorder, but it ordinarily takes place at a younger age, among 40 and 65, than other kinds of dementia.
“Most folks, when they believe of the phrase dementia, they consider complications with memory and Alzheimer’s condition, but FTD doesn’t really show up as issues with memory. … It has an effect on how persons behave, how they interact with other folks and how they talk,” Dr. Sami Barmada, director of Michigan Mind Lender and associate professor of neurology at College of Michigan Medicine, beforehand told TODAY.com about Bruce Willis, who was diagnosed with the same problems.
The exact year that Williams was diagnosed with aphasia and FTD, the crew of “Where by Is Wendy Williams?” had to cease filming mainly because she entered a remedy facility for “cognitive troubles,” People claimed.
Wendy Williams is prioritizing her wellness. The former communicate present host is presently remaining at a wellness facility, her rep confirms to Obtain Hollywood.
There were thoughts all around her cognitive state
Prior to Williams revealing her FTD prognosis, several men and women ended up speculating that the star was owning cognitive problems.
“Her care workforce is sharing this pretty personal update with her cherished followers, pals, and supporters to suitable inaccurate and hurtful rumors about her wellness,” the assertion discussed.
“Unfortunately, a lot of people diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia experience stigma and misunderstanding, particularly when they start to show behavioral alterations but have not nevertheless acquired a diagnosis.”
Williams currently has a court docket-appointed authorized guardian who oversees her funds and her health and fitness to stay clear of the probable for her to be exploited because of to her cognitive challenges, in accordance to Folks.
Williams’ sister, Wanda Finnie, also told People in a tale printed Feb. 21, 2024, that the star is now in a wellness facility that specializes in treating cognitive troubles.
Williams disclosed she was identified with Graves’ ailment in 2018
In February 2018, the converse present host announced she’d be having a three-7 days break from “The Wendy Williams Show” for the reason that she experienced been diagnosed with Graves’ sickness. About a 7 days right before, she’d canceled various exhibits owing to encountering flu-like signs or symptoms. At the time, a rep for her clearly show informed Right now.com in a statement that she’d experienced Graves’ illness for “numerous years.”
“Graves’ disease is an autoimmune affliction that stimulates the receptors on the thyroid gland to make extra thyroid hormones,” Dr. Deena Gupta-Adimoolam, a specialist in endocrinology and major care prevention, tells These days.com. This overproduction of thyroid hormones, or hyperthyroidism, can lead to an amplified coronary heart charge, sweating, excess weight decline, anxiety, hair loss, problem sleeping and bulging eyes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Williams pointed out that her supporters had pointed out changes in her eyes when she unveiled her analysis. “Graves’ ailment squeezes the muscles powering the eyeballs,” she defined, introducing that it’s induced her eyeballs to twitch.
Williams returned to her display, but she had to take time off in 2019 and again in 2020 to cope with her disease.
“If hyperthyroidism is untreated, it can be everyday living-threatening,” Adimoolam claims. When there are treatments, these types of as medicine, surgical procedure and remedy, Graves’ sickness seems to be various for each individual human being, she provides. Even with cure, it may remain debilitating for some.
Williams fainted on reside Television set in 2017
In October 2017, Williams passed out during the Halloween episode of her talk present. Dressed as the Statue of Liberty, she was chatting to the camera and then began to shake and wrestle to discuss prior to slipping on the ground. The exhibit slash to a business, and when it returned, she explained to viewers, “That was not a stunt. I overheated in my costume. I handed out.”
The next day, she discussed that prior to fainting, she felt “hot and a small dizzy.” She stated the paramedics later on explained to her she was very low on electrolytes.
“It was terrifying,” she recalled. “It was truly scary. It was so scary, all I could consider of in the center of the scare was, ‘Don’t pull the podium in excess of on you, due to the fact that’ll make it even worse.’”
Williams has struggled with alcoholic beverages and cocaine use
In 2013, Williams told NPR she applied be a “real fiend” when it came to prescription drugs. “I was addicted to cocaine,” she reported. “Crack cocaine — cooking it, getting it up in the Bronx. … Thank God I never got stopped by the cops to disgrace my family members and myself and eliminate my task.”
In 2019, Williams uncovered she was living in a sober home. “You know I’ve experienced a struggle with cocaine in my past, and I in no way went to a spot to get the cure,” Williams said during an episode of her display.
The trailer for her documentary and the latest Persons address story also reference her liquor use. In the trailer, another person shut to her questioned her if she drank an complete bottle of vodka in a single day. In the cover tale, her son said when she was remaining with him in Miami close to 2022, “I served her recover by, one particular, eliminating all liquor, (and two,) retaining her occupied (by) heading to the beach, doing work out.”
Persons also claimed that the documentary crew stopped filming in April 2023 due to the fact she checked into a facility in portion owing to her alcohol use.
There are concerns about her cognitive point out
When the documentary crew stopped filming in 2023, it was owing to “cognitive problems” related to her alcohol use, her manager Will Selby claimed in the documentary, as reported by Individuals.
Williams also at the moment has a court docket-appointed legal guardian who oversees her dollars and her health and fitness to keep away from the potential for her to be exploited thanks to her cognitive difficulties, according to the outlet.
Williams’ sister, Wanda Finnie, also told People that the star is now in a wellness facility that specializes in treating cognitive concerns.
She fractured her shoulder in 2018
In 2019, Variety reported that Williams fractured her shoulder in December of 2018, delaying her return to the display next the holidays. Williams was initially scheduled to return to the display on Jan. 7 but experienced to delay her return by a week to concentrate on recovery.
She discovered she has lymphedema in 2022
In the course of a phase with TMZ Stay, Williams held up a swollen foot and she defined she has lymphedema. The situation is prompted by an accumulation of fluid that builds up when the lymphatic program doesn’t correctly drain fluid from various components of the human body, according to the Mayo Clinic. “I can only really feel maybe 5% of my feet. Do you fully grasp?” she asked. “Normally I would be in a wheelchair.”
What is Wendy Williams carrying out right now?
Williams is being in a wellness facility, her sister and niece explained to Folks. They said that for the reason that of her courtroom-appointed guardian, they cannot speak to Williams, but Williams can arrive at out to them.
“I spoke with her yesterday, and I converse with her incredibly routinely when she reaches out to me. She is, from what I fully grasp, in a wellness, therapeutic variety of natural environment,” Wanda Finnie said.
“She is in a therapeutic place emotionally,” Finnie included. “She’s not the individual that you see in (the documentary).”
How to view “Exactly where is Wendy Williams?” documentary
The 2024 documentary “Where by is Wendy Williams?” will air on Life time at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Feb. 24 and 25. You can stream it with any assistance that has live cable, and it will be accessible to stream the up coming day at MyLifetime.com.
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