“The Wendy Williams Show'' producer Suzanne Bass has lost “a glimmer of hope'' that the show will return.
After host Williams' care team announced this week that Wendy had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, former producer Bass said he didn't see a way for Wendy to return. admitted.
She told PEOPLE: “Ever since Wendy went off the air, there's been a huge void in both daytime television and pop culture. I think there was always a glimmer of hope for her return, but since this diagnosis, that seems impossible.” That makes me very sad.
“I know it takes time to diagnose symptoms like that. I feel sad about all of that, because people always say, 'Wouldn't it be great if Wendy made a comeback?' Because there is.”
“It's not that she can't come back, it's more the state of her health that makes us sad. There's a certain amount of finality that comes with having this type of diagnosis.”
And looking back, Bass says there were signs that all was not well with Wendy, 59.
She said: “If you go back and watch the show, there are really long periods of silence where she doesn't say anything. And you think, 'What's going on? There were early signs.'” [of something wrong] Struggling to grasp words, organize thoughts, and remember things. Maybe something like that was happening back then. ”
“I remember talking to Wendy the last few times and thinking she reminded me of my mother.”
“My mother has Alzheimer's disease. In her case, dementia is a form of it. I just remember calling my brother and saying, 'Oh my God.' She just talked to Wendy. She reminds me of my mom. ”
When Wendy's team recently announced her diagnosis of aphasia and dementia, her team said these issues were “already posing major hurdles in Wendy's life.”
“After undergoing a series of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023,” the care team said in a statement. “Aphasia affects language and communication skills. Symptoms: Frontotemporal dementia is a progressive disease that affects language and communication skills. Cognitive function is already creating major hurdles in Wendy's life.
“Wendi would not have received confirmation of these diagnoses if it were not for the diligence of Wendy's current treatment team of choice and the extraordinary work of the experts at Weill Cornell Medical College. So Wendy was able to get the medical care she needed.'' “