Wendy Williams just gave a major update on her controversial guardianship—and it sounds like a legal war is brewing.
The former daytime TV queen, who made a rare public appearance to celebrate her 61st birthday on Saturday, has been living at a luxury assisted living facility in New York after she was placed under court-ordered guardianship in 2022.
The legal arrangement handed control of her personal and financial affairs to a court-appointed guardian after her bank, Wells Fargo, flagged concerns over her mental health and possible financial exploitation.
In 2023, Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia—conditions that further fueled questions about her ability to manage her own life.
But Wendy has made it clear she wants out, claiming she’s not incapacitated and is being controlled against her will.
On Wednesday, she and powerhouse attorney Joe Tacopina were spotted outside Scott’s restaurant in NYC, where they confirmed a lawsuit is coming.
Wendy Williams just gave a major update on her controversial guardianship—and it sounds like a legal war is brewing; (seen in March 2025)
On Wednesday, she and powerhouse attorney Joe Tacopina were spotted outside Scott’s restaurant in NYC , where they confirmed a lawsuit is coming; (seen in 2020)
‘Those responsible for her status, her, basically, incarceration, will be held accountable,’ Tacopina told TMZ. ‘There’s no question about that.’
He didn’t hold back, adding: ‘This guardian process is scary. She was misdiagnosed.’
‘What’s next is hopefully justice,’ Tacopina continued. ‘This process has been so long, it’s really despicably slow.’
Then, gesturing toward Wendy, he added, ‘This is Wendy, the same Wendy, we’ve had conversation over six months, she’s the same Wendy Williams that you know from TV. She belongs in a facility like I belong in a facility.’
‘She is a person in control of her faculties and is a great human being… and it sickens me… this isn’t a case for me, it’s a cause…’
Wendy jumped in with a laugh, saying, ‘I just had a birthday and I’m still in a guardianship. If that doesn’t say enough, I don’t know what does.’
Tacopina wrapped it up with a clear mission: ‘My goal for now and the priority is to get her back home.’
He added, ‘Wherever home is… where she can come and go as she pleases.’
‘Those responsible for her status, her, basically, incarceration, will be held accountable,’ Joe Tacopina told TMZ , adding ‘There’s no question about that.’; (seen in 2023)
Tacopina didn’t hold back, adding: ‘This guardian process is scary. She was misdiagnosed’; (Wendy in April 2025)
Wendy was placed under the guardianship of Sabrina Morrissey in 2022—and in a bombshell court filing last November, Morrissey claimed Williams was ‘permanently incapacitated’ due to her dementia battle.
In March, Wendy made a bold move by retaining a new legal team to fight for her freedom and challenge the court-ordered arrangement.
The star hired Tacopina – who recently represented A$AP Rocky – to help secure her freedom from her three-year conservatorship.
Since then, a #FreeWendy movement has gained momentum.
In a dramatic moment caught on camera in early April, Williams was seen banging on her facility window while supporters rallied in the street below, demanding she be released.
