Wendy Williams' Guardianship Battle

As we saw from Britney Spears, guardianship battles can impact everyone and anyone, even celebrities. The latest celebrity to be the face of a guardianship battle is Wendy Williams, an Emmy-nominated daytime talk show host.

In 2018, Williams announced she was suffering from Graves disease and has battled with her health since. In 2021, she took a hiatus from her television show to focus on her health and has yet to announce a return. However, since her break, she has been focusing on more than just her health and has begun to fight a legal battle for her rights.

In March 2022, Wells Fargo filed a petition in a New York guardianship court requesting a financial guardian be appointed to Williams, alleging she was a "victim of undue influence and financial exploitation." Williams alleges a financial advisor with the bank fabricated these statements to prevent her from accessing her account and has vehemently denied being incapacitated.

The New York court agreed with Wells Fargo and officially appointed a financial guardian to assist Williams with her finances in May 2022. While Williams will still have other personal rights, she will likely have to report to this guardian for any financial requests she has.

Guardianship is traditionally used as a last resort by courts when an individual is truly unable to care for themselves. However, the case of Britney Spears exposed many of the flaws in the guardianship system. As a result of the spotlight on guardianships following Spears' case, the Florida Legislature created a statewide guardianship database for judges and other court personnel to better monitor wards throughout the state.

If you or someone you love is facing the reality of being placed under a guardianship, it may be time to contact an attorney. Call our office today for a consultation.

This article is not intended to be legal advice nor create an attorney-client relationship.