Wendy Williams, 59, diagnosed with dementia and aphasia

23 February 2024, 11:31

Wendy Williams shocks fans with ‘tired’ appearance

Talk show host Wendy Williams has revealed she has been diagnosed with dementia following years of speculation over her health.

TV host Wendy Williams has revealed she has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), according to her health team.

The 59-year-old hosted the successful 'Wendy Williams Show' from 2008 to 2021 until she left in 2022 after facing numerous health issues.

Her team said in a statement that the diagnosis came after a series of medical tests, and said "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."

Her health team also spoke about her medical issues with Graves' Disease and Lymphedema, which caused her to take a leave of absence from The Wendy Williams Show in 2021.

Wendy's health team also revealed the decision to go public was made to advocate for compassion toward their client and to raise awareness for others with the condition.

A press release was shared “to correct inaccurate and hurtful rumours about her health” on behalf of Williams.

1. What is Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia?

   Aphasia is a nervous system syndrome that affects the ability to communicate with others, with patients often struggling to express thoughts and even losing their ability to speak or write.

   Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is an umbrella team for a group of brain diseases in the areas of personality, language and behaviour.

   Williams' progression is the same as Hollywood actor Bruce Willis, who was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 and Frontotemporal Dementia in 2023.

   

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