Wendy Williams Breaks Her Silence from Assisted Living: "This Isn't Right—And I Deserve Better"
In a raw and unfiltered phone interview from her memory care unit, Wendy Williams pulls back the curtain on her controversial living situation at Coterie—a high-end assisted living facility in New York's Hudson Yards. The outspoken media personality doesn't mince words: "This is a f****d-up situation," she declares, voicing mounting frustration about being confined to a locked floor surrounded by elderly residents. "I've lost count of how many times I've begged to be moved," she admits.
But here's where it gets complicated: Williams isn't free to leave. Every exit requires approval from both facility staff and her court-appointed guardian—a strict protocol that extends to communication. Phones are banned, though Williams retains a landline for outgoing calls only. Longtime confidant Max Tucci (owner of NYC's upscale Tucci restaurant) reveals Williams' darkly humorous take on Coterie: "She calls it 'where billionaires dump their grandmas'—then reminds me, 'But I don't belong here. Ask anyone—Wendy doesn't lie.'"
And this is the part that's sparking outrage: Williams was originally placed in Coterie's luxurious upper floors featuring marble bathrooms and panoramic views. Friends claim her transfer to the memory unit followed a raucous birthday celebration at the penthouse bar where she allegedly overindulged. This occurred after her 2022 guardianship appointment and subsequent diagnoses of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia—conditions Williams still vehemently denies having.
Here's what most headlines miss: Despite restrictions, Williams carves out moments of normalcy. She frequents a Brooklyn megachurch ("My anchor—it reconnects me to God and who I really am") and streams her classic radio shows on an iPad inside her 360-square-foot suite—a space costing $25,800 monthly before legal fees.
The controversy explodes beyond facility walls. Ex-husband Kevin Hunter alleges her guardianship constitutes "fraudulent bondage" and accuses the presiding judge of corruption in a dismissed $250M lawsuit (though refiling looms). Meanwhile, son Kevin Jr. distances himself, telling The Cut: "I'm building my own life away from this chaos. But Mom deserves freedom—this situation isn't right."
Now here's the million-dollar question: Could new medical evaluations alter her guardianship? Insiders suggest full termination is improbable—but does that mean the system is protecting Wendy, or failing her? With Williams insisting she's of sound mind and loved ones divided, this battle raises uncomfortable questions about autonomy, aging, and who gets to decide when someone needs "protection."
Do you believe guardianships help vulnerable individuals—or enable control? Should Wendy have more agency over her living situation? The debate is heating up in the comments.
