(NewsNation) — In an exclusive interview on NewsNation’s “CUOMO,” Regina Shell, a close friend of Wendy Williams, voiced concerns over the TV personality’s guardianship arrangement in the wake of a new documentary chronicling her life.
The documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?” came out over the weekend right after Williams’ team announced she had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. The documentary has faced criticism for its portrayal of Williams.
The producers, upon learning of her condition, admitted they wouldn’t have proceeded had they been aware during filming. The talk show host’s departure from “The Wendy Williams Show” after a decade raised speculation.
Shell, who appeared in the documentary without prior knowledge of its contents, recounted instances where Williams had no access to her finances, leading to delays in necessities like food. Shell expressed worries about the integrity of the appointed guardian, citing legal allegations against them.
“When I was in New York, staying with Wendy in the summer, I noticed she had no access to her money,” Shell recounted. “So every time she had to do anything she had to pay for, you had to go through the guardian. Her publicist also who lives out in LA, both of us were going back and forth sending food to Wendy, because she wasn’t having access to food.”
Shell, while acknowledging the concerning behaviors exhibited by Williams, emphasized the lack of official medical confirmation regarding her condition.
“I haven’t heard an official diagnosis from a doctor,” Shell stated. “Maybe I’m in denial because I’m so close to the issue. I see behaviors that could potentially be such a diagnosis, but I don’t want to believe it.”
Reflecting on past encounters with Williams, Chris Cuomo recalled witnessing concerning behavior and substance abuse.
“When I was with her a few summers ago, she was impressively a mess. I felt very badly for her. I talked to her about it directly. And as you might imagine, she had absolutely no appetite for the discussion,” Cuomo said.
Shell acknowledged Williams’ cleverness in potentially concealing her struggles but expressed frustration over limited access to support her friend.
“So she could potentially have been getting away, quote, unquote, with a diagnosis potentially like this for a long time because she’s quite smart,” Shell said.