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What Is Aphasia Dementia? Inside Wendy Williams’ Diagnosis After Months Spent Out of the Public Eye
Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
The conditions, which Wendy learned she had in 2023, have “presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life,” according to a February 22, 2024, press release from a representative for the former talk show host.
“Wendy would not have received confirmation of these diagnoses were it not for the diligence of her current care team, who she chose, and the extraordinary work of the specialists at Weill Cornell Medicine,” the statement read, in part.
Despite The Wendy Williams Show alum’s health challenges, she is still able to “do many things for herself” amid her treatment, per the release. “Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed,” it continued.
The statement concluded with, “She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way.”
What Is Aphasia Dementia?
Primary progressive aphasia is a type of dementia that impacts the frontal or temporal areas of the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can affect a person’s ability to communicate effectively, as well as the way they write and understand language.
Symptoms of aphasia include speaking in short or incomplete sentences and speaking in sentences that don’t make sense.
Although the disorder is often caused by a stroke or head injury, it can also result from a degenerative disease, per Mayo Clinic. In addition to treating the condition that causes it, speech therapy is often recommended to improve difficulties with language.
What Symptoms Did Wendy Williams Have Before Her Dementia Diagnosis?
Her diagnosis came after years of public concern about the media personality’s health. Wendy’s representative said sharing her diagnosis with fans was an attempt to “correct inaccurate and hurtful rumors about her health.”
“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,” the February 22, 2024, statement explained. “Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires.”
What Is Alcohol-Related Dementia?
During the two-part Lifetime docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams?, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., revealed that doctors believed Wendy was suffering from alcohol-related dementia.
“[Doctors] basically said that because she was drinking so much, it was starting to affect her headspace and her brain,” Kevin explained.
Of the talk show alum’s ”alcohol-induced” diagnosis, Kevin continued, “I was able to really learn more about things going on with my mother internally.”
Alcohol-related dementia is caused by the long-term consumption of the substance and presents with symptoms similar to age-related dementia, including memory problems and trouble with emotional regulation.
What Other Health Problems Does Wendy Williams Have?
Wendy has a history of health problems which caused her to step away from hosting her daytime talk show in 2021.
In February 2018, Wendy announced she would be taking a three-week break from her show after she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes an overactive thyroid and can result in serious health complications, per the National Institutes of Health.
Wendy has also spoken about her battle with lymphedema, which is characterized by swelling in a person’s arm or leg due to a lymphatic system blockage, per Mayo Clinic. In June 2022, she said during an interview with TMZ she could “only feel maybe five percent of [her] feet” due to the condition.
