READ: Wendy Williams' Guardian Questions Validity of Contract for Lifetime Documentary in Unsealed Lawsuit
March 14 2024, Published 6:15 p.m. ET
Wendy Williams' guardian questioned the validity of the contract the beloved former television host signed for Lifetime's documentary in the lawsuit against the parent network A&E Networks Television, LLC., which was unsealed on Thursday, claiming the 59-year-old "was not" capable of understanding what she was signing.
RadarOnline.com obtained the suit filed by Sabrina Morrissey, the court-ordered guardian in control of Williams' finances and health decisions, which had been sealed until now for Wendy's protection.
Morrissey became Williams' court-appointed guardian in May 2022.
Morrissey made it clear that she does not believe Williams knew what she was signing, nor would the larger-than-life personality want her struggles to play out in public for the world to see.
"She was not, and is not, capable for consenting to the terms of the documentary Contract,” the bombshell lawsuit filed last month read. “And no one acting in W.W.H.’s best interest would allow her to be portrayed in the demeaning manner in which she is portrayed in the Trailer for the documentary.”
Williams' handler called the footage "demeaning," and even took issue with the Where is Wendy Williams? trailer.
"The Trailer, which appears to contain privately-shot footage of W.W.H. in an obviously disabled state, shamelessly exploits W.W.H. and portrays her in an extremely demeaning and undignified manner, incorrectly states that W.W.H. is 'broke,' and cruelly implies that W.W.H.'s disoriented demeanor is due to substance abuse and intoxication," the docs continued.
She filed a lawsuit last month — which has just unsealed — against Lifetime's parent company over the two-part documentary.
As this outlet reported, Morrissey filed the lawsuit in February. She also filed a restraining order in a desperate Hail Mary attempt to stop the network from airing the two-part documentary. While the judge tossed the order for protection, the lawsuit is still in play.
Williams' guardian pointed to one signature in particular on the contract that she takes issue with.
She said the contract was signed in November 2022 by “the 'CEO' of The Wendy Experience, Inc.” It’s unclear who the CEO of this company is, but Morrissey claimed she did not authorize the business' creation and argued, "The name in the signature is not clearly legible; however, it is highly distinguishable from W.W.H.’s signature.”
Morrissey said she was aware that Williams was filming with a crew but she told Will Selby (Wendy's since fired manager) that "the Guardian's authorization was required before any film project involving W.W.H. could be released."
Morrissey said she told Will Selby (Wendy's since fired manager) that "the Guardian's authorization was required before any film project involving W.W.H. could be released."
She said to her "complete shock and surprise," Lifetime "released the trailer and the documentary's release date was announced on February 2, 2024, without the Guardian or viewing or approving the product. Selby asserted that he, too, was unaware that the trailer would be released."
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According to Morrissey, Selby told her that the project would be a positive tribute to Williams — but the trailer was the opposite.
Instead, Williams' guardian charged that "it cruelly portrays WWH as deeply confused and erratic, all while she is patently disabled due to her medical conditions. WWH was not, and is not, capable of giving her consent to her portrayal in the demeaning documentary, and the Guardian has not authorized and would not authorize, the release of the documentary."
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Days before the documentary aired, Williams' team released a statement to reveal she had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, the same ailment Bruce Willis was diagnosed with, which ended his film career. The Lifetime crew who followed Wendy and put the documentary together said they wouldn't have filmed her had they known about her diagnosis.
Williams has been in a treatment center since filming wrapped for the project in April 2023.
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