Wendy Williams Show Canceled Due To Health Issues: Executives

ASBURY PARK, NJ - New Jersey native Wendy Williams’ eponymous show will end this fall, show executives confirmed Tuesday.

“The Wendy Williams Show” is set to be replaced with a new talk show, “Sherri,” hosted by former “The View” star Sherry Shepherd, producer Debmar-Mercury said. The new show will run during Williams’ time slots on Fox stations.

The cancellation is due to Williams’ extended health-related absence, according to Debmar-Mercury. The Asbury Park woman, who is also a graduate of Ocean Township High School, had a breakthrough case of COVID-19 last September, ultimately delaying production on the 13th and most recent season of the show.

“Since Wendy is still not available to host the show as she continues on her road to recovery, we believe it is best for our fans, stations and advertising partners to start making this transition now,” Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement.

Williams first became public about her health in 2017 when she fainted during a show taping and took a three-week leave. Read more: Wendy Williams Faints During Live Broadcast

In 2018, the host came forward about her diagnosis with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition affecting the thyroid. She has been vocal about her longtime cocaine use that began in college, revealing in a March 2019 broadcast that she was living “in a sober house,” although she never specified why.

“We hope to be able to work with Wendy again in the future, and continue to wish her a speedy and full recovery,” the executives said, expressing their “great love and affinity for Wendy."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Asbury Park Patch