Wendy Williams placed under court-ordered financial guardianship

Wendy Williams, the six-time Emmy-nominated talk show host, has been fighting to regain control of her bank accounts during her medical hiatus from “The Wendy Williams Show.”

In October 2021, the daytime talk show announced that Williams had had “serious complications” from Graves’ illness and a thyroid issue. The show continued with guest hosts instead of the titular host.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Williams requested her bank statements from Wells Fargo in order to move banks due to suspicions regarding her former Wells Fargo financial adviser Lori Schiller.

According to Variety, Wells Fargo declined and placed a temporary hold on Williams’ account, saying that she was “incapacitated” and a “victim of undue influence and financial exploitation,” before filing a petition for guardianship. Williams claims she dismissed Schiller, but Wells Fargo has continued to deny her full access to her accounts.

Williams and Thomas have refuted any suggestions that she is unable to manage her own money. Williams has “employed holistic health professionals to help her reach optimal health during her treatment of Graves’ disease and thyroid concerns,” Thomas said in a statement obtained by Variety.

Wells Fargo issued a statement at the time, supposedly in a try to address Williams’ fears that she would be unable to pay her mortgage and employee wages.

“Wells Fargo’s priority is the financial well-being of Ms. Williams and the preservation of her privacy,” the bank said. “As we have expressed to the Court, Wells Fargo is open to working with Ms. Williams’ counsel to release funds directly to her creditors for bills historically and regularly paid from her accounts.”

In March, a temporary guardian was appointed, and in May, a New York judge appointed a new guardian, thereby removing Wells Fargo from operational control of Williams’ funds, according to Deadline. The identity of the new guardian has not been made public.

Despite the update, Williams and her counsel remain resistant.

“Please be advised that Wendy is not in agreement with the appointment of a financial guardian by the court. Wendy has been very clear that she does not want a financial guardian to tell her what she can and cannot do with her money” Thomas said according to Page Six.