News | Entertainment
23 Feb 2026 17:42
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    'Where Is Wendy Williams?' sheds a light on "the reality of Wendy's life"

    The 59-year-old TV star was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023, and Mark Ford and Erica Hanson - the ex ecutive producers of 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' - have defended their new documentary amid criticism of the project


    Erica told 'Extra': "It was important for us to be able to shed light on what the reality of Wendy's life was under this care.

    "We were concerned about her being in that apartment, being alone, clearly drinking a lot ... she was really isolated and we were really concerned about her, that one of the reasons why we stayed and really kept pushing ... It is scary to think of if we weren't there at times."

    Mark added: "At a certain point we were more concerned about what would happen to her if we stopped filming than if we continued."

    Erica has also described the project - which was filmed before Wendy's diagnosis was revealed to the public - as a "labour of love".

    She added: "Even though it's a very intimate personal story of Wendy, I really believe it's a universal story that millions of people can relate to. And it's not comfortable and it is painful at times, but I feel like we did shed light on really important story for Wendy and how she was or wasn't getting the care she needed."

    Wendy was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia last year, and her care team recently revealed that the issues have "already presented significant hurdles in Wendy's life".

    The care team said in a statement: "Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy's ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy's condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions.

    "In 2023, after undergoing a battery of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. Aphasia, a condition affecting language and communication abilities, and frontotemporal dementia, a progressive disorder impacting behaviour and cognitive functions, have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy's life."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     23 Feb: Hailey Bieber's 2022 health scare prompted her to create Rhode
     23 Feb: Hilary Duff found her return to the music industry to be "scary"
     23 Feb: Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones has launched an impassioned defence of Travis Kelce
     22 Feb: James Van Der Beek was a "great leader on set", according to Algee Smith
     22 Feb: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been "released under investigation"
     22 Feb: Khloe Kardashian would "want to be married" before having any more kids
     22 Feb: Timothee Chalamet thinks AI is set to change the movie business
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Moana Pasifika are on the hunt for a new venue for their round nine Super Rugby match against the Chiefs More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    People appear to have regained confidence it's okay to shop More...



     Today's News

    Business:
    People appear to have regained confidence it's okay to shop 17:27

    Entertainment:
    Hailey Bieber's 2022 health scare prompted her to create Rhode 17:21

    Business:
    Wallets appear to opening again - across the country 16:57

    Entertainment:
    Hilary Duff found her return to the music industry to be "scary" 16:51

    Motoring:
    Northbound lanes have reopened at Orewa - after a three-vehicle crash and diesel spill on State Highway One, this afternoon - in northern Auckland 16:47

    Law and Order:
    Auckland police have arrested a man they believe responsible for a string of indecent assaults - against high school students and teachers 16:17

    Business:
    Energy watchdog to force retailers to offer struggling customers help in overhaul 16:07

    Health & Safety:
    Denmark and Greenland reject Trump's offer to send naval hospital ship 16:07

    Rugby:
    Moana Pasifika are on the hunt for a new venue for their round nine Super Rugby match against the Chiefs 15:57

    Law and Order:
    40-year-old summonsed to court in relation to Christchurch dog attack on Saturday 15:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd