Why is Wendy Williams' guardian suing A&E? Lawsuit against Lifetime's parent company ahead of the talk show host's documentary release

The upcoming two-part documentary about prominent talk show host Wendy Williams, Where Is Wendy Williams?, is all set to air on Lifetime on Saturday, February 24, and Sunday, February 25. However, Williams' temporary guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, filed a lawsuit against A&E Television Networks, Lifetime's parent company, earlier this week.

The contents of the lawsuit are unclear, as this was a sealed lawsuit. Page Six reported that there will be a hearing next week to decide whether the sealed court documents should remain sealed. The lawsuit can contain a request for a restraining order to halt the documentary's release. The upcoming documentary is also executive-produced by Williams.

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The Wendy Williams saga

Around two years have passed since the 59-year-old Wendy Williams entered a court-appointed temporary guardianship in May of 2022. This happened a few months after Wells Fargo froze her bank account after her financial adviser claimed that Williams was not of sound mind.

According to People, the court order was approved after Wells Fargo claimed that Williams risked being financially exploited due to her cognitive issues. Williams struggled with alcohol as well as health issues like Grave's disease and lymphedema.

After her guardianship appointment, Wendy Williams was found passed out drunk in a Louis Vitton shop and had to enter rehab in September. Throughout 2022 and the following year, she has had multiple rehab stints. Wendy is currently in a facility to treat her cognitive issues since April 2023 and can only leave if her guardian says so.

Page Six reported that Williams' guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, filed a sealed lawsuit against the upcoming Lifetime documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? earlier this week. The outlet speculated that the lawsuit might attempt to get a restraining order blocking the documentary's release.

Page Six also reported that a hearing regarding the opening of the sealed lawsuit is to be held next week, but by then, the documentary would have already been released. A quick ruling from a judge before the hearing date can also potentially block the documentary.

On Thursday morning, February 22, Wendy Williams' team announced in a press release that the talk show host was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia in 2023. According to the statement, the diagnosis came after a plethora of tests conducted due to her alleged memory loss, erratic speech, and tendency to "lose words."

The trailer for the documentary was released last month and has amassed over 800,000 views on the official Lifetime YouTube channel. The documentary also featured interviews with Williams' sister, Wanda, and her son, Kevin Hunter Jr. Both claimed that the guardian was not doing a good enough job and alleged that the person took Wendy away from them.

The documentary's executive producer, which was shot in 2 years, Mark Ford, told People magazine that the film was signed off by Wendy herself, her management team, her attorneys, and the guardianship. He told the outlet,

"They were aware of the filming all the way through. So, we did go by the book and get all the permissions that we needed to get."

He added,

We went into this film thinking it was one thing, and the truth turned out to be another. Once we started seeing the truth of the situation, we couldn't ignore it. And the film had to go in the direction of the truth"

Mark Ford further told People magazine that the crew could not get any statements from Wendy's official guardian. He told the outlet,

"Just because you're under a guardianship doesn't mean that you're getting 24/7 care, and I think just leaving someone in their apartment isn't care."

He added,

"When we got to know Wendy's family, it was clear to us this was a nice family, and the question remained in our minds: Why is the family not able to be a part of Wendy's life? Why is the family not able to serve as her guardian? I still don't fully have those answers."

Wanda, while speaking to People magazine, also asked the question,

"How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is healthy one minute to this person who’s in and out of the hospital?"

She added,

"How is that system better than the system the family could put in place? I don't know. I do know that this system is broken. I hope that at some point, Wendy becomes strong enough where she can speak on her own behalf."

She also told the outlet that Wendy's whole family was kept in the dark regarding the details of her guardianship. The court documents were also sealed. They don't even know where she is and cannot contact her. Only she was allowed to contact them.

Page Six also quoted Wendy Williams' former publicist, who alleged that Williams wanted to hire her legal team instead of a team that worked for the court. The outlet further quoted the publicist as saying,

"Please be advised that Wendy is not in agreement with the appointment of a financial guardian by the court. Wendy has been very clear that she does not want a financial guardian to tell her what she can and cannot do with her money,"

People magazine also stated that the documentary hints at Wendy Williams wanting to leave her guardianship. The trailer showcases Williams talking about how she has no money and misses her family. As mentioned above, the documentary will premiere on Saturday.