Judge Rules Wendy Williams Must Sit For Deposition Despite Dementia Diagnosis
Wendy Williams’ legal saga over Lifetime’s controversial documentary has taken another turn and this time, the judge wants to hear directly from Wendy herself. On September 15, a judge ruled that Wendy, 61, will sit for a deposition in the lawsuit against A&E Television Networks, even as her guardianship case remains unresolved.
The deposition must happen by November 4 and will be limited to three hours, with breaks built in and the option for Wendy to testify remotely. The judge stressed that her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia does not stop her from testifying, explaining that it will be up to a jury to decide how much weight to give her words.
The decision came alongside an extension of the stay in the case until November 5, allowing time for updates on Wendy’s guardianship. Her current guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, is still awaiting a ruling on whether she will continue in the role following Wendy’s most recent medical evaluation.
The deposition will follow strict guidelines: only a few attorneys can be in the room, it must happen at a time that works for Wendy’s health and it can’t last more than three days total.
The fight began back in February 2024, when Morrissey filed suit to block the release of Lifetime’s Where Is Wendy Williams?, arguing that Wendy lacked the mental capacity to agree to appear in the project.
While the court denied that request and the docuseries aired, A&E later admitted they pulled it from circulation “out of respect for the legal proceedings.”
In August, Wendy’s guardianship was upheld after an extensive new evaluation that included brain scans and neuropsychological tests. But the case has only grown more tangled, with Wendy’s ex-husband, some family members, and other parties signaling their intent to challenge both the guardianship itself and Morrissey’s role.
Wendy, for her part, has pushed back against claims that she’s incapacitated. She denied those allegations publicly in February during an interview on The Breakfast Club, saying she was not “legally incapacitated” despite her medical team’s findings.
