'Where Is Wendy Williams?': The biggest bombshells from Lifetime's documentary

Days after Wendy Williams' frontotemporal dementia diagnosis was revealed, the talk show host's declining health was the focus of a raw new Lifetime documentary.

The network on Saturday and Sunday aired the documentary "Where Is Wendy Williams?" which shows Williams struggling with her health until she is eventually admitted to a treatment facility. In it, her family opens up about her dementia diagnosis while arguing for changes to the guardianship that she was placed under in 2022.

Before the documentary aired, the former talk show host, 59, thanked well-wishers for their supportive response amid her diagnosis.

"I want to say I have immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis of Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Let me say, wow! Your response has been overwhelming," Williams said in a statement released to The Associated Press through a representative for her care team. "The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion."

These were the biggest revelations from the documentary:

Wendy Williams has 'alcohol-induced dementia,' son says

Williams' family opens up about her dementia diagnosis in the second part of the documentary. Her 23-year-old son, Kevin Hunter Jr., says that she was diagnosed with "alcohol-induced" dementia. "They basically said that because she was drinking so much, it was starting to affect her headspace and her brain," he says.

Williams seems to become confused at several points in the documentary, including by suggesting she is in Miami during her trip to California.

Wendy Williams' family criticizes her guardianship

Williams' family repeatedly criticizes her guardianship setup, under which the court appointed a professional guardian to oversee her finances. They believe a member of the family should serve in that role, with her son arguing the guardian "has not done a good job of protecting" her. Williams' sister, Wanda Finnie, says she offered to be her guardian, but "then, all of a sudden, the wall came down, and there was nothing."

Williams' son denies allegations that he was trying to exploit her financially, leading to the financial guardianship. He maintains he never took money out of his mother's account without her permission. At one point, Williams alleges her guardian has stolen money from her, but she provides no evidence of this.

Williams' manager, Will Selby, also says that "everything has to be decided by the court and the guardianship" when he brings up her potentially moving to Florida to be with her family. "She's not making any decisions on her own," he says.

Wendy Williams maintains she's 'very healthy' after wellness center stay

Early in "Where Is Wendy Williams?," Williams pushes back on the decision to admit her to a wellness center in California soon after she was first interviewed for the documentary in 2022. She says Selby and her guardian took her there, but when asked why, she insists, "I don't know."

After Selby interjects to say that Williams "needed some rest," she says she "can rest right here." Williams then declines to answer more questions. "I'm very healthy," she says.

Wendy Williams' nephew says she almost died in 2020

Williams' friend and former co-worker, DJ Boof, describes becoming concerned about her health while working with her as she filmed her talk show from home in 2020. Noting her delayed reactions and tiredness, he says he thought, "This is not COVID doing this."

Williams was hospitalized that May. Her nephew, Travis Finnie, says that DJ Boof "was there, and he called us crying, saying that she's going to die, and she needs help." Finnie adds that Williams received three blood transfusions, and "that's the only reason she's alive today." He blames this medical emergency on Williams' drinking.

DJ Boof also recalls going to the hospital to check on Williams at that time and being unsure if she knew who he was. "I just felt like she wasn't the same person anymore," he said.

Wendy Williams Lifetime documentary will air despite her guardian's lawsuit, judge rules

Wendy Williams' loved ones express concern about her drinking

Throughout the documentary, those around Williams express concern about her drinking.

In one scene, her manager, Will Selby, confronts her about finding a bottle of alcohol in her room. Selby says he looks for alcohol in her apartment every time he comes over and has found bottles in her bathroom and closets.

Later, Williams orders an alcoholic beverage at a restaurant, but Selby privately tells the waiter to bring her a virgin drink. But she defends her drinking, saying, "I bet we all drink. Why can't I?"

Drinking led to tension with Wendy Williams and her son

Williams' son says during the first part of the documentary that it had been eight months since he last saw his mother when she came down to Florida to spend time with her family in 2021. During that time, Williams appeared to be doing "a lot better," her nephew, Travis Finnie, said.

According to Finnie, she returned to New York to deal with the court case in which she was placed under financial guardianship, but the family argues she is better off with them in Florida. Hunter asserts that she's surrounded by "yes people" in New York and engaging in unhealthy eating and drinking.

Williams also acknowledges that her drinking has led to tension with her son, whom she finally reunites with in the second part of the documentary.

Filming shuts down after Wendy Williams displays erratic behavior

An extended scene in the second episode sees Williams being driven to a vape shop but sparking confusion after insisting it's not the same shop she usually goes to. She berates her publicist, sending her into the shop multiple times, and tells her driver to look around for a different location. Eventually, the documentary producers step in to say they need to stop filming. After the incident, Williams' driver expresses concern that she's "losing memory," saying she sometimes doesn't know who he is.

Talk show host Wendy Williams diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia

Williams behaves aggressively toward people around her at multiple other points, including by telling her publicist to get liposuction. "There are some times when Wendy is just a little bit more aggressive," Selby says.

Wendy Williams had a meeting about returning to TV

In the second part of the documentary, Williams' manager becomes upset after she flies to Los Angeles with her publicist and has a meeting with NBCUniversal about a potential return to television.

Williams' family is unhappy with this, arguing that her health is not in a good enough place that she should be looking to return to work. Her niece, Alex Finnie, says it's "despicable" that Williams' publicist would take her to this meeting, which didn't result in an offer for a new show. Her son also says he fears that working amid her poor health could be "the thing that kills her."

Williams' health appears to deteriorate further after this Los Angeles trip. "Since LA, she's been a completely different person," Selby says, adding that she returned "disheveled" and "adamant about drinking."

Wendy Williams didn't know she wouldn't return to her show

Williams' talk show was canceled in February 2022 after she had been on hiatus due to her health issues. Her niece, Alex Finnie, describes sharing this news with Williams, who still believed she would return to the show.

"My aunt did not know she was not going back to the show," Finnie says, adding that after she told her the show had been canceled, "She didn't believe it."

Wendy Williams 'locked herself in her apartment' surrounded by alcohol in 2023

By April 2023, filming on the documentary stops due to concerns about Williams' well-being. Selby continues to provide updates, though, saying he found her "hiding in the bathroom" in her apartment. He also says he found a large, empty bottle of alcohol in her bed.

"Whether she's here or not, I just don't think she cares," Selby says. "She's locked herself in her apartment, surrounded herself with alcohol, and decided, 'This is going to be my fate.'"

Williams is ultimately admitted to a treatment facility. Although her family is unaware of the exact location, Williams' sister says she is now in a "stronger place," and "it's almost like I'm talking to Wendy from years ago." Selby also says she is now "looking natural" and as "sober as she can be."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wendy Williams Lifetime doc: The biggest revelations on dementia, more