Wendy Williams Criticized Her Assisted Living Facility
Wendy Williams didn’t hold back when describing her current living situation at Coterie Hudson Yards in Manhattan, calling the $25,800-per-month assisted living facility a “dump” in a phone interview with The Cut. The former daytime TV personality, 60, currently resides on the memory care floor of the upscale residence, which she says feels more like confinement than comfort.
“Did you see the people? The elderly people? Why do I want to look at that? This is a f—-d-up situation,” Williams said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked that I be moved from this floor.”
Despite the facility’s marble floors, fresh flowers, crystal chandeliers and private amenities, Williams said she’s unhappy and wants out.
Locked In and Cut Off
Williams has lived under court-appointed guardianship since 2022. Her current floor is secured, meaning she can’t leave without approval from both the facility and her guardian. She also has no access to a personal cell phone and can only make outbound calls from a landline.
After reportedly drinking heavily at the building’s penthouse restaurant during her birthday in July, Williams was relocated from a third-floor unit with large windows to the locked memory care floor. The new area lacks stoves, refrigerators and door locks for safety reasons. According to The Cut, the hallway smells like Febreze.
Health Diagnosis Disputed
In February, Williams’ team announced she had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and progressive aphasia. But she has denied the diagnosis and insists she remains mentally sharp.
Her attorney, Joe Tacopina, told TMZ, “She’s the same Wendy Williams that you know from TV. She’s a person who’s in control of her faculties and is a great human being.”
Tacopina strongly criticized the guardianship system, calling it “basically, incarceration.” He added, “This whole thing is about money, money, money, money,” and said the process was “despicably slow.”
Financial Moves and Legal Fallout
Documents show Williams’ estate pays for her guardian Sabrina Morrissey’s services, a $10,000 monthly retainer for her personal lawyer and various legal fees. In 2024, attorneys raised concerns about her finances after Morrissey sold her 2,400-square-foot condo at a loss and gave away her two cats.
Her ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, filed a $250 million lawsuit in June to end the guardianship, calling it “fraudulent bondage.” He also accused the presiding judge of being “crooked.” Hunter, who previously received $37,500 per month in alimony, saw those payments stop when the guardianship began. A judge dismissed his case on October 9, but he has the option to refile.
Williams and Hunter divorced in 2019 after she discovered he had a child with another woman during their 21-year marriage.
Public Appearances and Support
Despite her restricted living conditions, Williams has made a few appearances in public. She attended New York Fashion Week in September and told The Cut, “You know I’ve been out. So obviously I do go out.” She also attends a Brooklyn megachurch, which she said “gives me faith and keeps me very well in touch with God and myself.”
Her longtime friend Max Tucci, owner of the Manhattan restaurant Tucci, supported her claims about the facility. “This is, like, where billionaires send their grandmothers. But, you know, she doesn’t need it. Wendy doesn’t lie,” he said.
Son Speaks Out
Williams’ 25-year-old son, Kevin Hunter Jr., told The Cut he’s trying to stay out of the legal mess while focusing on his own life. “I’m really not trying to be too caught up in this. I’m trying to build, carve out my own path right now, away from everything. I just want her to get out of this. Because it’s not right,” he said.
Medical Review Pending
A new medical evaluation is expected in the coming weeks. Based on the findings, the judge could either maintain the current guardianship, ease restrictions, appoint a different guardian or end the arrangement altogether. However, sources close to the case say a full termination remains unlikely.