“Where is Wendy Williams?” sheds light on the “reality of Wendy's life.”
The 59-year-old TV star was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023, and Mark Ford and Erica Hanson, executive producers of Where Is Wendy Williams? – defended the new documentary amid criticism of the project.
Erika told Extra: “It was important to us to establish what the reality of Wendy's life was in this care.
“We were worried that she was in that apartment, alone, obviously drinking heavily. She was really isolated and we were really worried about her. That's one of the reasons we stayed and really kept pushing. It's scary sometimes to think what if we weren't there.”
Mark added: “At one point we were more worried about what would happen to her if we stopped filming than if we continued filming.”
Erica also described the project, which was filmed before Wendy's diagnosis became public, as a “labor of love.”
He added: “Although Wendy's story is very intimate and personal, I truly believe it's a universal story that millions of people can relate to. And it's an uncomfortable and sometimes painful story. “But I feel like the light has been shone on us.” It's about the stories that really mattered to Wendy, and how she did or didn't get the care she needed. ”
Wendy was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia last year, and her care team recently revealed that these issues are “already a major hurdle in Wendy's life”. did.
In a statement, the care team said: “Over the past few years, questions have been raised from time to time about Wendy's ability to process information, and many people have speculated about Wendy's condition, particularly as she has begun to become mute and exhibit occasional erratic behavior.” said. Difficulty understanding financial transactions.
“In 2023, after undergoing a series of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. Aphasia is a condition that affects language and communication skills. , Frontotemporal Dementia is a progressive disease that affects behavior and cognitive function, and there are major hurdles in Wendy's life.”