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The Wendy Williams Thread


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In one of Andy Cohen's books, he describes an odd interaction with Wendy's husband.  They had pitched an idea to Andy for a pop culture judge show, he was encouraged, then she never returned his calls.  Until a month later her husband called and said that they didn't want to do business with Andy and they never spoke again.  This was after they had socialized at Anderson's book party and Andy express in the book that it started a one-sided feud.  She never booked either Andy or Anderson on her show again and she never spoke to them.  Later, when Charlemagne was on radioAndy, they both agreed that the only thing holding Wendy back in her career was her husband.  Which is interesting when you consider that she is the only single-hosted daytime talkshow on currently,(other than Ellen which is more of a variety show these days), and she has lasted more than 10 years. 

 

However, I think how she handles this news with her audience is crucial.  The NY Post is already reporting on every side comment she makes on air, and her show has not been live since she filed on Thursday.  So, I think her fans have given her space, but they will expect a statement.  I thought it was very powerful when she was discussing the half-way house and she noted that people may have negative expectations of her housemates, but that she was the face of how addiction can look.  There is potential for her to pull a full-Oprah and change the direction of her show, or she could adjust to try to be just a bit more compassionate.  I know I am compelled to watch it, but I don't know for how long if this experience is not reflected in the kind of entertainment that she wants to make once she is in recovery.

Edited by j swift
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I think she will be quiet about it in the short term. For the time being, she's in litigation with him and whatever she says can be used against her in Court. The interesting thing is that her divorce filing lists the marriage dissolution date as being 6 months ago...when all the sh*t hit the fan and she went to rehab. That's when everything leaked about her husband's mistress and the mistress being pregnant. 

 

Wendy has demonstrated a certain level of wisdom over the years that makes me think that her stay in rehab, and the delays in returning to her show, were part of a bigger plan. Wendy obviously relapsed and had to get herself together, but I am betting that she also knew if she was in rehab she would be away from him, and could formulate a plan because she'd finally been publicly humiliated in a way she couldn't handle or spin. It seems it was the public humiliation that she couldn't take and no matter how allegedly awful he was behind the scenes, she could tolerate it so long as he didn't bring shame upon her publicly. And then he did. It was over. 

 

She and Kelvin (I'm going with Charlemagne on how to say his name) have their business intertwined, so Wendy's choice of divorce lawyer is interesting: she's gone with Blank Rome, a large Philadelphia based international firm that specializes in corporate law and has in house family law counsel. Much of this is going to be about undoing their business relationship. Their son is 19, so it's not like they're going to be fighting about him, and they've been married a long time, so she may still have some lingering feelings for him, regardless of what's gone down. 

 

I think Wendy formulated her exit plan during her rehab and this time in the sober house. The way she served him with divorce papers speaks to this. She hired extra security guards and had him served in front of all their employees in the studio. According to the NY Post her staff are shocked that she actually left him. 

 

No matter how rough she's been on other celebrities over the years, there is no denying that Wendy has been through hell. If the allegations of physical abuse and Kelvin's behaviour are even half true, she is a battered woman and should be applauded for finally gathering the necessary strength to leave an abusive marriage. 

 

She reminds me of Tina Turner. I hope, like Tina, her second act, without him, is a triumph. 

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The Post said she is writing a book, so I think she will leave most of the story there to be published around the time she returns in the fall.  Especially because there is no Oprah, Barbra Walters, or Diane Sawyer to go to in 2019 for a tell-all interview.  She seems like she wants to control the narrative.     

 

As the complexity of their business, she doesn't work for QVC anymore, and she is not pursuing other productions like when she had her gameshow on GSN,  So it may not be as complex as it once was.  Certainly, this is the end of his career in production; who would give him a reference? 

 

I think it will be a milestone when she allows celebrities, and her audience, to comment on her strength. I remember when Rosie O'Donnell lost 5lbs on her show and every actor commented on her slightly svelter image.  If Wendy allows an actor to say that they are proud of her, it will be an interesting way to acknowledge what is going on.

 

But my bet is that she has to say something about the divorce on Monday, even if she demurs from details.   

Edited by j swift
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That's my favorite thing to read.  I'd like to embroider it on a pillow.

 

I found it interesting that she assumed the audience already knew.  It was so smart to use her relationship with the audience in order to avoid giving more of the story.  She said that she was moving into her own place and everyone on site and at home knew what she meant, and suddenly they're all insiders.

 

Today she mentioned talking to Charlemagne, which I found interesting.  On the Breakfast Club yesterday, Charlemagne acknowledged that Kevin (or Kelvin as they call him) was responsible for dredging up his prior rape allegations this summer from seventeen years ago.  So, when Wendy mentioned going to dinner with him today she was sending another easily decodable message to her fans about her changing alliances.  

 

She is very clever to stay ahead of the story without divulging anything that would be unappealing to her image.  I think a Breakfast Club Interview would be scintillating, and it is the only venue that would be credible to her fanbase. 

 

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I appreciate Charlemagne's point, but I think the Breakfast Club, in general, undermines their credibility when they use homophobic language so casually; especially when discussing his innocence of sexual assault.   

 

I feel like they should have denounced the use of gay rumors to embarrass Kelvin based on his masculinity and denounced the implication that engaging in the rape of a man, (or a woman), is the same as sexual orientation.  Kelvin is obviously a horndog bastard, but to try to use gay sex to demean him maligns the culture because it equates his violence toward women with having sex with a man      

Edited by j swift
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