Lifetime Says It Will Still Air“ Where Is Wendy Williams? ”Documentary Despite Lawsuit
Two days before the documentary was slated to air, Wendy Williams' guardian filed a lawsuit against the network
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Wendy Williams visits SiriusXM Studios on September 6, 2018 in New York City.Lifetime plans to move forward with the debut of its controversial new documentary Where Is Wendy Williams?
The network confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE on Friday: “Lifetime appeared in court today, and the documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? will air this weekend as planned.”
As of Thursday night, it appeared that Saturday's premiere might be postponed or canceled entirely after Wendy Williams’ court-appointed guardian filed a lawsuit seemingly seeking to halt the release of the documentary. (The legal documents are sealed, so the actual grounds for the suit are not publicly known.)
The lawsuit filing came hours Williams’ diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) was released by her guardian. This health news was, up to that point, unknown by Williams’ family, who claim the former talk show host has had limited contact with them since she was placed under the legal guardianship.
PEOPLE has reached out to representatives for Williams.
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Wendy Williams in 2019.Where Is Wendy Williams? executive producer Mark Ford previously confirmed to PEOPLE that the guardian initially signed off on the production of the series (on which Williams, 59, is also listed as an executive producer).
The docuseries' trailer teased a look inside Williams’ life and health off screen. Many scenes showed her family members confronting Williams over alcohol use.
For Williams, the documentary is a way to share her honest narrative, according to her niece Alex Finnie. “She said, now is the perfect time because I want to take ownership of my story,” Finnie said on Thursday’s episode of Good Morning America.
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Wendy Williams visits SiriusXM Studios on September 6, 2018 in New York City.Williams is currently in a treatment facility to address cognitive concerns. While staying at the undisclosed location, Williams’ family has been unable to contact her due to the guardian's rules, which require Williams to reach out first from a blocked phone number.
In the times they’ve spoken, Finnie said some of Williams’ symptoms appear to have improved. “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," Finnie told PEOPLE.
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Where Is Wendy Williams? is scheduled to premiere on Lifetime Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m.
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