Wendy Williams

a biography

As a high-profile media personality, Wendy Joan Williams Hunter, known professionally as Wendy Williams, is not only known for being a very outspoken radio broadcaster, she is also very accomplished for other endeavors. These include publishing several books, movie and TV appearances, and marketing her own product lines.

Wendy Joan Williams was born on July 18, 1964, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She is the second of three children born to Thomas Dwayne and Shirley Williams, both respected educators during their active years. During childhood, her doctors recommended that Wendy should undergo special medication to regulate the hyperactivity she has shown early on. She graduated from Ocean Township High School in 1982 where she was viewed as an outcast for being one of the few African Americans that thrived in the area. (Brennan, Carol (2015). Avery, Laura (ed.). Newsmakers. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale. pp. 472–475. ISBN 9781414497792. OCLC 903054736)

She was a disc jockey for the college radio station, WRBB, where she graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. Two weeks after graduating, she began her career as a DJ working for the small, calypso and reggae-oriented radio station in Puerto Rico.

In 2008, Wendy was offered a six-week television trial of her own talk show. In 2010, the show was aired internationally in 54 countries through BET International. The show attracts 2.4 million daily viewers on average, with Williams gaining popularity that rivals that of Ellen DeGeneres as the number one female host on daytime television all over the US in the time that it aired.

Due to her suburban upbringing, Williams considers herself “a multicultural woman who happens to be black.” Throughout her career, she has repeatedly feuded with other prominent celebrities, facing criticism for some of her harsh comments which she spoke publicly in her shows.
In spite of such setbacks, Williams was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2009. On her 50th birthday, the council of Asbury Park, New Jersey renamed the street on which she grew up into “Wendy Williams Way.”

She was awarded with the 2,677th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the Category of Television, in Los Angeles in 2019.

• Birthday: July 18th, 1964
• Hometown: Asbury Park, New Jersey
• Husband(s): Kevin Hunter (1997–2019), Bert Girigorie (1994–1995)
• Occupation(s): Broadcaster, Media Personality, Businesswoman, Comedian, Writer, Actress, Producer
• High School: Ocean Township High School in Ocean Township, NJ
• College Alma Mater: Northeastern University in Boston, MA