A top New York City neurologist has concluded that former talk-show host Wendy Williams does not have Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), according to legal sources familiar with her recent evaluations. The finding marks a dramatic turn in a matter that has dominated her personal and legal life for years.
Re-evaluation Alters Wendy Williams Guardianship Landscape
Her legal team disclosed that the neurologist’s “battery of tests” showed no evidence of FTD. According to the report, the doctor provided results late last month to Williams’s lawyers, who now plan to file new court papers seeking to end her guardianship within weeks.
“Wendy does not have frontotemporal dementia,” one source said. The same source added that if the court resists terminating the guardianship, Williams’s attorneys are prepared to request a jury trial.
The guardianship was initially approved in 2022 after a bank raised concerns about Williams’s ability to manage her finances. It was later supported by reports citing a diagnosis of FTD and its language-variant subtype, primary progressing aphasia. In February 2024, Williams’s team publicly acknowledged an FTD diagnosis, while Williams herself repeatedly denied cognitive impairment.
The newly revealed neurologist’s finding contradicts the earlier medical narrative that Williams’s condition was progressive and irreversible. Typically, FTD is a degenerative illness with no known cure. Legal observers say the change could significantly shift the guardianship debate.
Williams’s legal team said in a statement they will file a petition soon and seek to have a judge review the guardianship based on the updated medical opinion. Her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, has previously argued that Williams lacks full capacity and needs oversight. The guardian had requested further evaluations to determine Williams’s current cognitive state.
Williams herself has spoken publicly to deny the condition. On a radio show earlier this year, she said, “I am not cognitively impaired,” and added, “But I feel like I’m in prison.”
Neurology experts caution that while a single negative assessment is significant, courts may require additional evaluations to confirm capacity. The standard for removing a guardianship includes proving that the individual is able to manage personal and financial affairs safely.
For Williams, who rose to fame over more than a decade hosting “The Wendy Williams Show,” the stakes remain high. A favorable ruling could restore far greater autonomy; a rejection might prolong the oversight arrangement.