Wendy Williams has taken an extended level of absence from her popular daytime talk show. The 54-year-old daytime talk maven will not return to the set of The Wendy Show on Monday, Jan. 21. Insiders whisper that the future of The Wendy Show is in doubt.
The ailing host pushed back her original return date – Jan. 7 to Jan. 14, saying she was taking a week off to heal from her fractured shoulder and return to the show pain-free after taking a 2-week hiatus to celebrate the holidays.
Then she pushed the date back a second time to January 21. The show has resumed live tapings with celebrity guest hosts, including CNN’s anchorman Don Lemon.
On Friday, Wendy’s husband, Kevin Hunter Sr., released a statement to the media, saying Wendy will be hospitalized for treatment of Graves’ Disease.
“As Wendy Williams Hunter previously shared, she fractured her shoulder and has been on the mend. Over the past few days, Wendy has experienced complications regarding her Graves’ Disease that will require treatment. Wendy will be under the strict supervision of her physicians, and as part of her care, there will be significant time spent in the hospital. Despite her strong desire to return, she is taking a necessary, extended break from her show to focus on her personal and physical well-being.”
The show’s producer, Debmar-Murcury, added:
“For over ten years, Wendy has been a vital part of the Debmar-Mercury family. We wholeheartedly support Wendy in this decision to take the time she needs and we will welcome her back with open arms the moment she is ready.”
In recent months, Wendy has shown worrisome signs of neurological decline, including slurred speech, memory lapses, absent staring, and decreased mobility.
Rumors are swirling that Wendy may be suffering from a neurological disorder such as dementia.
Last week, rumors swirled that Wendy’s husband held a staff meeting and ranted for an hour about leaks to the press.
Staffers reportedly believed Hunter was there to update them on Wendy’s health status.
“Kevin sat down the entire ‘Wendy’ staff on Monday morning,” a source told Radar Online. “Everyone thought Kevin was going to provide an update on Wendy’s health, but instead Kevin ranted for almost an hour about the leaks coming out of the show to the press.”
Hunter allegedly read “specific articles and headlines” in an “intimidating voice” to the employees.
“He was overly paranoid about any info about their private life leaking,” the insider said. “The strange part was he provided no update on Wendy’s health, when she would be back or how she was feeling, which was clearly info that everyone at the show needs to do their jobs,” the insider said. “He was threatening that whomever was the source would be caught.”
