*Wendy Williams’ attorney now asserts that her prior diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and aphasia was incorrect, arguing that the talk-show star could be free from her conservatorship before the year concludes. His claims surfaced during a Dec. 9 appearance on ABC News’ “Nightline,” where he outlined new medical opinions contradicting her 2023 diagnosis.
Attorney Joe Tacopina explained that neurologist Dr. Samuel E. Gandy evaluated the 61-year-old and reached conclusions at odds with the earlier assessment. According to Tacopina, “Williams does not have frontotemporal dementia,” and said her decline was instead linked to addiction, noting she had been heavily drinking during the period when her symptoms escalated.
Tacopina suggested that her cognitive struggles stemmed from substance use rather than a progressive brain disorder. He argued that Gandy’s position should be trusted “because he’s the top” expert. “There’s something called alcohol-induced dementia. That may have been something Wendy was suffering from back in [2023], 24,” Tacopina explained. “She was an alcoholic, no question about it.” He added, “Wendy was drunk almost 24 hours a day,” which required significant intervention at the time. Tacopina clarified that Williams “does not drink alcohol” anymore.
During the segment, Tacopina also disputed reports that her previous diagnoses had been reaffirmed, saying, “I don’t agree with those results because I’ve not seen those results. We don’t know who the doctor is; we’ve not seen the report!”
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The discussion unfolded as the “Nightline” team presented statements from the attorney for guardian Sabrina E. Morrisey, who countered allegations of mishandling. The statement read, “Ms. Morrissey emphatically denies any wrongdoing, mismanagement, or self-dealing with regard to Ms. Williams’ guardianship,” and added that “All of the court-appointed guardian’s activities are regulated and supervised by the court.”
Court filings from 2024 asserted that Williams remained “cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated,” even after her diagnosis was made public. Despite those claims, Williams has appeared publicly several times while living at the assisted living facility Coterie in New York City. She has denied having dementia. Speaking to The Breakfast Club earlier this year, Williams said, “I am not cognitively impaired. I’m in this place where the people are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. … I have breakfast, lunch and dinner right here on the bed. I watch TV, I listen to radio, I look out the window, I talk on the phone.” She later told Nightline, “Look, I don’t belong here at all. This is ridiculous.”
Her friend Sunny Hostin said, “I spoke to her several months ago, and she just sounds like the same Wendy.”
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