Wendy Williams' publicist breaks silence over bombshell documentary

Wendy Williams’ publicist has spoken out, slamming a Lifetime documentary, which followed the TV host for several months.

The series has made waves on the internet, with many fans of the celebrity coming out to defend the star. The TV star’s show was taken off air in 2022 after the 59-year-old battled various health issues. She had been diagnosed with Covid-19 at the time, and also told followers she had Graves’ disease. The beloved star’s family came out last week to announce she had early on-set dementia and Aphasia ahead of the documentary being released. Some of the scenes were troubling for viewers to watch, and various people in her life received criticism online, including Wendy Williams’ publicist and her manager.

Wendy Williams publicist slams documentary

The bombshell series, which some critics claim is exploitative, has caused a stir with fans.

The two-part docuseries, released in four episodes on Lifetime, was called Where is Wendy Williams?”

In various scenes we see Wendy appear disorientated, not recognizing her own manager, and calling her brother the wrong name. In another clip, we see her manager Will, confront the celebrity after discovering empty bottles of liquor in her bedroom.

Another person that talks to the cameras is Wendy Williams‘ publicist, Shawn Zanotti, who has come out now to slam the producers behind the show.

Zanotti told NBC News: “I felt that [Williams] was being exploited.

“She thought we were focusing on the comeback of her career… She would be mortified. There’s no way you can convince me that she would be OK with looking and seeing herself in that way.”

Zanotti, who has been working as Wendy Williams’ publicist for three years, is still employed by the star.

She says she was first pitched the project by Creature Films and eOne Television two years ago.

‘Wendy wanted her story out there’

Zanotti adds Wendy was excited about the documentary, saying she “would love to be able to get my story out there”.

The publicist claims the Lifetime series that aired wasn’t what she and Wendy Williams agreed on.

She added: “There were lots of good moments. None of those good moments were shown”.

In the episodes, Zanotti is asked by cameras in a separate room about Wendy’s drinking, her behavior and how she speaks to her during tense moments. She told producers she has ‘thick skin’ so can get past any mean comments that come her way, whether the former radio star knew she was making them.

In another scene, when Zanotti and Wendy travel to LA – without permission from her guardian or her manager – for an interview with NBC and Universal, Wendy tells the camera she only met Zanotti that morning. The publicist then explains she’s known her for since 2021, as she had been working for Wendy Williams for a year.

These instances were in front of cameras, which Zanotti hasn’t responded to, nor discussed in her comments.

Where is Wendy Williams now?

Wendy Williams is in a treatment facility, after being diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), her publicist, Zanotti, hasn’t spoken to her since she arrived there in April. But she is still employed by the star.

The filmmakers told Today they weren’t aware of her diagnosis during production, but said “some days, Wendy was on and very Wendy. Other days, she wasn’t”.

In one scene, when talking to her son Kevin, he says the term dementia when talking about his mother’s health. A message on screen appears, saying this is the first time anyone they had talked to mentioned that word.

Celebrity Tidbit spoke to clinical neuropsychologist, Lynn A Schaefer, about Wendy’s diagnosis.

She explained that “while still relatively rare, FTD is currently the most common neurodegenerative dementia for people under age 65, making it an “early onset” type of dementia.

“It is also the third most common dementia overall, after Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.”

Sundeep Venkatesan, assistant professor, division of speech and language pathology at Binghamton University in New York, also spoke about how the conditions may affect how a patient acts with their loved ones.

He told us: “One of the pointers to family members and friends is that they need to remember that a patient with FTD cannot control their behaviors and the patient may have a lack of awareness of their illness.”

Bruce Willis diagnosed with same condition

Wendy’s diagnosis comes two years after Hollywood Bruce Willis family announced he was stepping back from the limelight after being diagnosed with the same two conditions.

The family have been documenting and updating fans of his progress in small updates, whether from his wife or his daughters.

Although Alzheimer’s disease may appear in people aged older than the two stars, FTD can manifest in people younger, typically between 40 and 65 years old.

Dr Logan DuBose, resident physician and co-founder at Olera Inc, told us: “Although Ms Williams and Mr Willis’s health issues led to their stepping away from the world of movies and television, they both show a positive lifestyle can be maintained despite having a severe condition like FTD or PPA.

“As her team mentioned after the recent press release, “she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed.”

“Hemming Willis, Bruce’s wife, and Bruce have continued to use their platform to raise awareness of the positive and negative aspects of family caregiving and connect the dementia community. Both serve as examples that a diagnosis of dementia can be faced head-on by supportive communities and care teams.”

Aldo Pusey

Update: 2024-06-15

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