Wendy Williams has stepped away from her daytime talk show, and as of early February 2019 the reasons behind her absence are drawing plenty of attention.
Wendy announced that she needed time off to recover from several health issues, including Graves’ disease and a fractured shoulder. Viewers had noticed her appearing unwell on air in recent months. In October 2017 she fainted during a live Halloween show, and in December some fans said she seemed to slur her words.
Since then, outlets have reported a more complicated picture. Page Six reports that sources close to the host say concerns about her on set behavior go back a few years. A frequent guest told the New York Post that producers encouraged them to help carry a segment during their appearance. A former producer told the paper the crew grew nervous on Thursdays, when two shows were taped back to back. These are anonymous accounts, and none of them has been confirmed by Wendy or her team.
Reports also say Wendy is receiving care in South Florida while her show is hosted by a rotation of guest hosts.
The coverage has also turned to her husband and manager, Kevin Hunter, who is an executive producer on the show. According to reports, former radio and TV staffers describe a tense marriage and a difficult workplace. Anonymous sources told reporters that Wendy sometimes avoided him at the office. Those claims are allegations from unnamed people, and Kevin has not publicly responded to them in the coverage we have seen.
There is also a public court record from the past. In 2008, a woman named Nicole, who worked on Wendy’s radio show, filed a lawsuit against Kevin. In her complaint she alleged sexual harassment and a hostile work environment, and claimed she saw him physically assault his wife. The case was settled in October 2008.
Reports have also alleged that Kevin carried on an extramarital relationship. That claim has not been confirmed. Wendy addressed the rumors on air in September 2017, saying, “I stand by my guy.”
For now, Wendy has said her break is about her health. Everything else in this story remains unconfirmed reporting, and we will wait to hear from Wendy herself.
