Lifetime’s “Where is Wendy Williams?” documentary will air this weekend as scheduled after a New York court rejected an attempt to block the broadcast. The order signed Friday by a New York appellate judge says blocking the documentary from airing would be an “impermissible prior restraint on speech that violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”
Quick Read
- A New York court rejected a bid to block Lifetime’s “Where is Wendy Williams?” documentary, citing First Amendment protections.
- The documentary, set to air this weekend, features footage and interviews related to Wendy Williams, the former talk show host.
- Williams’ care team recently announced her diagnosis with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
- Despite attempts by Williams’ guardian to halt the broadcast, the documentary will proceed as planned.
- Williams’ health issues previously led to the end of her daytime talk show, with Sherri Shepherd taking over with her own show.
- The documentary also touches on Williams’ battle with Graves’ disease and her treatment for cognitive issues linked to alcohol use, as mentioned by her son and manager in the film.
The Associated Press has the story:
Wendy Williams doc. to air on lifetime despite broadcast block attempt
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Lifetime’s “Where is Wendy Williams?” documentary will air this weekend as scheduled after a New York court rejected an attempt to block the broadcast.
The order signed Friday by a New York appellate judge says blocking the documentary from airing would be an “impermissible prior restraint on speech that violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”
The ruling clears Lifetime’s two-night broadcast plan for “Where is Wendy Williams?”, which includes footage of the former talk show host and interviews. Friday’s order comes a day after Williams’ care team issued a statement saying the former host has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
A lawyer who serves as Williams’ guardian sued to block the broadcast on Thursday, although most details about the case are under seal. An attorney for the guardian did not immediately return an email seeking comment Friday.
“Lifetime appeared in court today, and the documentary ‘Where is Wendy Williams?’ will air this weekend as planned,” the network said in a statement.
In 2022, Williams’ self-titled daytime talk show ended because of her ongoing health issues. Sherri Shepherd, who filled in for Williams as a guest host, received her own show.
Williams said in 2018 that she had been diagnosed years before with Graves’ disease, which leads to the overproduction of thyroid hormones and can cause wide-ranging symptoms that can affect overall health. Thursday’s statement from Williams’ care team said Williams’ dementia diagnosis happened in 2023.
People magazine reported in a cover story on Williams this week that some family members say they don’t know where she is and cannot call her themselves, but she can call them.
The article said the Lifetime documentary crew, which set out in 2022 to chronicle Williams’ comeback, stopped filming in April 2023 when, her manager “and jeweler” Will Selby says in footage for the film, she entered a facility to treat “cognitive issues.” Her son says in the documentary that doctors had connected her cognitive issues to alcohol use, People reported.
Friday’s ruling was first reported by the entertainment industry news website Deadline.
