Wendy Williams’ guardian ‘isolated’ troubled star and ‘failed to protect her,’ docuseries producers claim in new lawsuit
The problematic celebrity Wendy Williams’ guardian has “isolated” her and “failed to protect her,” according to a Lifetime documentary series. In a recent lawsuit, producers ask where Wendy Williams is.
In their own counterclaims, the U.S. Sun can exclusively disclose that Lifetime, A&E, the production business Entertainment One, and Creature Films, together with its president, Mark Ford, sued Wendy’s guardian.
Attorneys criticized Wendy’s guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, in the Lifetime complaint for attempting to prevent the documentary’s publication through a restraining order that was issued just days before its February premiere.
They said she was “inhibiting and interfering with the exercise of free speech rights regarding an issue of public concern by [Lifetime].”
According to them, Wendy’s guardian tried to prevent the documentary from showing because it provided “a raw, honest, and unfiltered window into the life of [Wendy], a well-known public figure, after she was placed under guardianship.”
Rather than protecting Wendy’s interests, the documentary allegedly demonstrated how the guardianship “isolated her from her family, left her largely alone and unattended in her apartment, exacerbated her self-destructive behavior and mental decline, and failed to prevent her use and/or abuse of alcohol.”
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They also claimed that because the documentary portrayed Wendy negatively, her guardian tried to prevent its dissemination.
Therefore, it seems that Morrisey is abusing her role as [Wendy’s] guardian to stifle criticism of her contentious and unsuccessful guardianship management.
Additionally, according to Lifetime, Wendy’s own relatives “also watched the documentary prior to its airing, in early February 2024.”
Additionally, they stated that they “approved its content and supported its release,” and that a number of Wendy’s relatives provided interviews with the media to help spread the word about the documentary.
ENTERTAINMENT ONE’S VS. MORRISSEY
According to Entertainment One’s counterclaim, Morrissey’s attempts to “exceed the scope of her judicial authority over” Wendy, “attempt to excuse her own failure to protect” Wendy, and “supplant [Wendy’s] wishes with her own” are the reasons behind Wendy’s guardian’s complaint against them.
Morrissey is also charged with depriving Wendy of “perhaps one of her last chances to exercise her autonomy and honestly reach her fans in exactly the frank and unfiltered manner that was the hallmark of her career,” according to the accusations.
Wendy Williams’ ex Kevin Hunter accuses star’s guardian Sabrina Morrissey of ‘depleting’ host’s finances in court
“All in an effort to prioritize [Morrissey’s] own reputation, and divert scrutiny of her own inaction and indifference” to Wendy’s predicament,” according to the allegations.
Additionally, Entertainment One refutes earlier claims that they only gave Wendy $82,000 for the documentary.
According to the lawsuit, Wendy received “approximately $400,000 for her participation” from the corporation through her business, The Wendy Experience, Inc.
Amusement When Wendy’s guardian realized that the documentary series “would raise questions about [Wendy’s] care and treatment under the guardianship,” and that what was shown would make Sabrina’s “own conduct the subject of scrutiny,” she filed a Temporary Restraining Order to prevent its dissemination, according to one argument.
The filmmakers also claimed that the “Documentary captures a raw, honest and unfiltered window into [Wendy’s] life after she was placed under guardianship, showing how her authenticity still shined even as she struggled with her loss.”
CREATURE FILMS’ SUIT AGAINST MORRISSEY
In contrast, Creature Films and Mark Ford, the company’s president, refuted claims that the documentary made “anywhere near’millions’ of dollars” in revenue.
The goal of the counterclaims filed by Lifetime, A&E, Creature Films, and Entertainment One with Mark Ford is to recover their expenses and legal fees.
They are also asking Wendy’s guardian for any additional financial compensation.
RESTRAINING ORDER & LAWSUITS
Sabrina, Wendy’s guardian, attempted to prevent Lifetime from airing the Where is Wendy Williams? documentary in February by requesting a restraining order.
The restraining order was swiftly reversed by an appellate judge.
The judge decided that it would be a First Amendment constraint to prevent Lifetime from broadcasting the documentary series.
Wendy Williams Alcohol-Related Brain Damage, Aphasia & Frontotemporal Dementia Diagnoses
By Jessica Finn, a senior reporter for The U.S. Sun who has covered Wendy Williams for seven years.
Wendy Williams was diagnosed with alcohol-related brain damage in 2019 while undergoing treatment in Florida, as The U.S. Sun exclusively reported.
According to an insider, Wendy’s rehabilitation stint in Delray Beach included a brain MRI.
The celebrity, her son, and her ex-husband, Kevin Hunter Sr., sat down with a neurologist.
“The physician informed them that Wendy had brain damage as a result of drinking.
“They told her that her alcohol abuse had done permanent damage to the layers in her brain,” according to an insider.
“She was warned then and there that if she continued to drink, the damage would only get worse.”
They gave Wendy a dire diagnosis during that encounter.
The rehab’s experts predicted that Wendy’s cognitive abilities would eventually deteriorate, and those who have interacted with the celebrity in recent years have seen this for themselves.
“They told her that if she kept drinking she would continue to grow more forgetful, that she wouldn’t remember people’s names, and eventually, she could forget who people even were,” according to a source.
In 2023, Wendy was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, according to a statement issued by her team following a call for comments.
In addition to advocating for empathy and understanding for Wendy, the statement said, “the decision to share this news was difficult and made after careful consideration, not only to raise awareness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of others facing similar circumstances.”
According to subsequent records, Wendy’s guardian filed a lawsuit against Lifetime and the production companies involved just days before the documentary was scheduled to debut, but the guardian never served them with the original case.
Rather, in September, Wendy’s guardian filed an amended lawsuit, which was sent to all defendants, including Creature Films with President Mark Ford, Entertainment One Reality Production, and Lifetime.
The guardian’s lawsuit was transferred from the New York Supreme Court to a federal court in October.
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Since then, Wendy’s guardian has been the target of countersuits from each of the defendants.
Since three of the responses to the guardian’s modified complaint have been filed under seal, there might be more countersuits filed as well.
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