At this point... I am dying to see Wendy. She hasn't been seen in A LONG TIME. I am scared for her. LITERALLY SCARED.

https://www.the-sun.com/tv/10507154/wendy-williams-guardian-sabrina-morrissey-robbing-client-lawsuit/

WENDY IN HER PRIMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I haven't quite finished the tail end of this, but it's absolutely shocking and heartbreaking thus far. Both her dueling 'managers' Will and Shawn are the sleaziest people I've seen outside of Harold Robbins or Joe Eszterhas in a long time. Talk about the scum of the earth, and it's clear she gravitates towards abusive, controlling men like her ex-husband and that Will gets off on having the power over her in their co-dependent relationship (it also seemed clear to me in Part 2 given some of her random comments that he was sleeping with her despite her being deeply impaired). All his little speeches about putting her money away, putting it in a 'separate account' that's not Wells Fargo, giving little camera-ready speeches to her about not drinking all seemed so fake and calculated for the footage. Everything about these people was exactly like the disgusting characters who orbited Anna Nicole Smith on E! near the end of her life - that Howard guy, etc.

It's tacky to say but it's honestly a classic soap opera setup with a series of classic archetypes tbh - the faded star, the grasping hangers-on and con artists - except it's all too real and very tragic. Wendy is just not there and anyone can see it. She can barely speak or string words together; she's like a pull-string version of herself with a few canned catchphrases or brand names and the rest is just a lot of dementia-induced aggression, emotion and panic. She didn't know who Jennifer Lopez was while struggling to read the Star and catch up on showbiz gossip like the old times, and began rambling about Sex and the City. She didn't know where her old street was in Jersey; she thought LA was Miami. She occasionally forgot who Shawn was. At one point she doesn't know what the Oscars are, and obsesses over meeting Universal to get a show back and 'show them my feet.' The scene on West 23rd with the studio/smoke shop revisit speaks for itself. The scene in Part 3 with her poor niece coming to visit her and being instantly horrified by her condition, struggling to contain herself and then becoming repulsed by Shawn made my skin crawl; it was very hard to watch. You instantly were there with her in that moment as she realized very quickly her aunt was now a totally different person.

For those who cut the cord like me, the first two episodes are free to watch on Lifetime's website til the 5th of March (run your adblock to kill Lifetime's endless commercial breaks). The rest can be found at various spots like Dailymotion or with a Philo TV trial. I'll tag @DRW50 to recommend they check out the first two eps at least.

Edited February 27, 20241 yr by Vee

16 hours ago, Vee said:

The scene in Part 3 with her poor niece coming to visit her and being instantly horrified by her condition, struggling to contain herself and then becoming repulsed by Shawn made my skin crawl; it was very hard to watch. You instantly were there with her in that moment as she realized very quickly her aunt was now a totally different person.

Her niece refusing to open the fridge because she knew what she wouldn't find is what's heartbreaking... and then producers just went and told her. And you could see: she didn't want to hear that.

Two head scratching responses:

A:

Yet, they filmed for months, so that doesn't absolve them of exploiting her story when she is at her worst.

B:

He needs to sit down and get a job

All of this reminds me of the Michael Jackson story, where they were pushing him to perform and rehearse all while seeing how sick and addicted to drugs and sleeping aids he is. They basically had A DOCTOR to put him in anesthesia... and they knew that... Just so he can rehearse. 

 

16 minutes ago, Althea Davis said:

All of this reminds me of the Michael Jackson story, where they were pushing him to perform and rehearse all while seeing how sick and addicted to drugs and sleeping aids he is. They basically had A DOCTOR to put him in anesthesia... and they knew that... Just so he can rehearse. 

It reminds me a lot of Britney Spears.

Not the “it could have been worse” defense… 

I would respect them if they suggested that it was newsworthy and that they sought the consent of her son.  But, all of these explanations after the fact seem insincere. 

There is a long tradition of this type of show from Grey Gardens, to Michael Jackson's Martin Bashir interview, to Whitey Houston's interview with Wendy, to Britney's Instagram videos.  Collectively, they raise the intriguing question: How should our culture address affluent mentally impaired adults who resist assistance? Should we gawk or avert our gaze?  Do we have the right to look in Wendy's fridge because we were fans for 15 years?  Or is it more respectful to ignore her decline?

I think judgements of who is good or bad in Wendy's life is easy.  But, for me, it is trickier to grapple with what is my personal responsibility in terms of media consumption?  Is it noble to resist the urge to watch this provocative footage? Or is it just a fascinating story that I am drawn to for the same reasons that I am a fan of soaps?

 

Edited February 28, 20241 yr by j swift

9 hours ago, j swift said:

Not the “it could have been worse” defense… 

I would respect them if they suggested that it was newsworthy and that they sought the consent of her son.  But, all of these explanations after the fact seem insincere. 

There is a long tradition of this type of show from Grey Gardens, to Michael Jackson's Martin Bashir interview, to Whitey Houston's interview with Wendy, to Britney's Instagram videos.  Collectively, they raise the intriguing question: How should our culture address affluent mentally impaired adults who resist assistance? Should we gawk or avert our gaze?  Do we have the right to look in Wendy's fridge because we were fans for 15 years?  Or is it more respectful to ignore her decline?

I think judgements of who is good or bad in Wendy's life is easy.  But, for me, it is trickier to grapple with what is my personal responsibility in terms of media consumption?  Is it noble to resist the urge to watch this provocative footage? Or is it just a fascinating story that I am drawn to for the same reasons that I am a fan of soaps?

Ugh. That statement to The Hollywood Reporter is gross. Ew.

https://variety.com/2024/tv/reviews/where-is-wendy-williams-review-lifetime-1235920928/

‘Where Is Wendy Williams?’ Docuseries Is Unsettling and Exploitative: TV Review

 

By Aramide Tinubu

This is a dumb thought, but I can get it out of my mind as others discuss the Lifetime Documentary.

In multiple scenes, she is shown wearing this Louis Vuitton jacket.

But, LV doesn't make or sell that jacket.  On their website and in stores like Saks, they don't make anything like it.  More often they use denim or real fur like this.

So, is Wendy's stylist ripping off her by using Canal St knockoffs?  Or are they making custom stuff for her to wear?  Again, not a vital topic, but writing about it gets it off of my mind.

Edited March 4, 20241 yr by j swift

 

25 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

❤️

 

I have tears in my eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!