Wendy Williams Settles Lawsuit Against A+E Networks Over Docuseries

Wendy Williams has settled a lawsuit against A+E Networks over the release of Where Is Wendy Williams?, a docuseries chronicling her deteriorating mental and physical state that was shot without obtaining consent from the former talk show host’s court-appointed guardian.

“The parties have agreed to privately resolve their dispute,” states a court document filed on Tuesday. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Sabrina Morrissey, acting in her capacity as Williams’ temporary guardian, sought to block the documentary’s release. In a lawsuit against A&E Networks filed in 2024, she claimed that contract the company brokered to shoot the project wasn’t valid since Williams didn’t have the legal or mental capacity to authorize her participation in the title at the time.

A temporary restraining order was granted before the ruling was reversed by a higher court. The four-and-a-half-hour documentary, which features footage from roughly seven months of Williams’ tumultuous past few years until she entered a health facility to treat cognitive issues, later aired to blockbuster ratings. A+E Networks parent Lifetime said the title was its biggest nonfiction debut in two years.

Since then, the labyrinthine case was mostly fought behind closed doors since it involved Williams’ health. At one point, high-flying celebrity lawyer Joe Tacopina declared he had been hired by the TV personality to potentially fight against her guardianship. He was one of three camps of people in Williams’ orbit that formed over the course of the litigation.

On one side was Tacopina, who was brought into the fold by Williams’ niece Alex Finnie to act as her personal attorney; on another was Morrissey, who in 2022 was named by the court as Williams’ guardian; on the last was Williams’ ex-husband Kevin Hunter, who last year filed a $250 million lawsuit against Morrissey accusing her of taking advantage of the TV personality.

Lawyers representing Williams and A&E Networks moved to file the settlement agreement, which includes confidential information concerning Williams’ health, under seal. They nodded to “individuals seeking to exploit Williams for financial gain or assert opportunistic claims targeting her estate.”

“Public disclosure of the Settlement Agreement, particularly its financial terms, would only heighten the risk of further opportunistic attempts to exploit her,” the filing stated.

The deal, which was reached after a mediation earlier this year, remains subject to approval by the guardianship court. The lawsuit sought all profits from the documentary to fund Williams’ medical care.

In 2022, Williams was placed under a financial guardianship after Wells Fargo claimed she was an “incapacitated person” and a “victim of undue influence.” She contested the development, saying that her health had improved after receiving treatment for Graves’ disease and thyroid issues. It was later revealed that the financial exploitation stemmed from purchases made by her son, Kevin Hunter Jr.

A&E Networks and Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for Williams, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.