Inside Wendy Williams’ health crises including addiction & lymphedema as she’s hospitalized for ‘psychiatric issues’
WENDY Williams was forced to delay the premiere of her talk show The Wendy Williams Show this week amid ongoing health issues and testing positive for COVID-19.
And just hours later The Sun exclusively revealed that a woman matching Wendy’s description was rushed to hospital suffering “psychiatric issues” in New York on Wednesday.
Last week Wendy’s team announced she would be taking a break from promotional duties to undergo health evaluations.
The post read: “Wendy is dealing with some ongoing health issues and is undergoing further evaluations.
“She will not be able to complete her promotional activities next week, but can’t wait to be back in her purple chair on Monday, September 20th for the 13th season premiere.”
Just days after, Wendy had another setback.
Another post on her show’s Instagram read: “While continuing her health evaluations, Wendy has tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19.
“To allow Wendy time to quarantine and fully recover and to ensure that our production abides by all SAG/AFTRA and DGA Covid protocols, we expect to begin the 13th season of The Wendy Williams Show on Monday, October 4th.
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“In the meantime, repeats will be scheduled.”
On Wednesday an ambulance was pictured outside Wendy’s swanky apartment building.
Though the NYPD wouldn’t confirm Wendy, 57, was indeed the woman in need of help, a spokesperson said: “There was a call for a 57-year-old non-violent female who needed psychiatric services at that address on Wednesday morning. They were transported to the hospital.”
A call to a rep for Wendy was not returned.
Talk show icon Wendy has always been open with her fans about her health problems and addiction struggles.
ADDICTION BATTLE
In 2019 Wendy opened up to her fans about her battle with addiction and revealed she was living in a sober living facility.
She emotionally confessed to her audience: “Well, for some time now and even today and beyond I have been living in a sober house.
“.. And you know I’ve had a struggle with cocaine in my past. I never went to a place to get the treatment. I don’t know how, except God was sitting on my shoulder and I just stopped.”
For three months prior Wendy had been on a hiatus from her show.
DailyMailTV reported at the time that Wendy had been struggling with abusing alcohol and pill after fracturing her shoulder in December 2018.
The outlet claimed Wendy checked into a detox and rehab facility during her break from The Wendy Williams Show from January to March.
“Wendy has been brave enough to make herself the face of addiction,” a source told ET at the time. “It’s a disease and a very real and constant fight. It’s been extremely difficult to put herself out there and be vulnerable (as this is such a private struggle), but it’s too important a topic to ignore. She is known for keeping it real, and felt the need to keep it real for her fans.”
SHOULDER INJURY
At the time of her shoulder injury, Wendy cancelled an episode of her show, revealing to fans that she suffered a hair fracture on her right shoulder.
One month later her family announced she was taking an extended break from her show due to needing treatment for complications related to Graves’ disease.
“As Wendy Williams Hunter previously shared, she fractured her shoulder and has been on the mend,” the family statement read at the time.
“Over the past few days, Wendy has experienced complications regarding her Graves’ disease that will require treatment. Wendy will be under the strict supervision of her physicians, and as part of her care, there will be significant time spent in the hospital.”
When she returned to her show on March 4 Wendy told her audience that she had been suffering thyroid issues.
“What happened was, we were only supposed to be off for two weeks for Christmas vacation,” she explained.
“Towards the end of the two weeks, I was starting to feel thyroid issues. If you don’t know about them, it’s a lifetime thing. They can really screw you over. So, they are adjusting my thyroid meds and the eyeballs are attached to the thyroid, which is my Graves’ disease, and I always have equilibrium issues with my vertigo. I’m the kind of patient, if I cough, I am thinking, ‘I am dying. I know I’ve gotten to that point.'”
GRAVES’ DISEASE
The Wendy Williams Show host has previously spoken about suffering from Graves’ disease.
Fans became concerned about Wendy’s health in 2017, when she fainted during a live taping of her show on Halloween.
At the time, the host blamed it on being overheated and low electrolytes.
But in February 2018 the TV star announced that she had Graves’ disease, and had been living with it for years.
She also said that it was the cause of her “bulgy” eyes.
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the U.S. The disease affects about 1 in 200 people.
LYMPHEDEMA
In March Wendy showed viewers a close-up of her severely swollen ankles as she suffers from Lymphedema.
Wendy asked for a closeup of her feet and said: “Do you see my feet? Do you see how they barely fit in my shoes even? I have Lymphedema. I’ve had it now for a few years…
“Mine [my feet] are discolored. They’re hardened. I can’t wear boots. I can’t believe in our comment section people say, why does she walk like that.
“Well if you see me in an airport, you’ll be like is that Wendy in a wheelchair? Yup. I can’t even walk two city blocks. You know you got the numbness and whatnot. It’s not curable…”
The daytime talk show host admitted she can’t even walk two blocks because of the disease.
Last year, Wendy clapped back at those trolling her Lymphedema during an after-show on Instagram: “Stop asking me about the cankles, I have Lymphedema.
“Stop asking me why I wear sneakers, I have Lymphedema. Stop asking me why my eyes bulge, I’ve got Graves’ disease. Stop asking me, like, dumb mess! Can we connect on a more cerebral level?”
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