A new Wendy Williams video is out. Well, a previously unseen Wendy Williams video. Because there are questions about exactly when this proof of life was recorded.
The recording appeared on a brand-new, verified personal Instagram account that is separate from the one tied to “The Wendy Williams Show.” As of Thursday morning, there were only two posts: one in which the host speaks and another featuring the same footage but with a musical soundtrack instead of conversation. The video was shot on a windy, cloudy beach, with a blond-haired Williams in a baseball cap, black hoodie and black shorts.
“It’s just after 8 o’clock in the morning, and I’m doing OK, you know?” Williams says in the video, apparently recorded by her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., who called her “mom” as the two walked together. “I’m here in Florida, and I come here often. You know, I’ve got real family here. Mother, father, sister, brother. Family. Family family, family. It’s very peaceful here.”
She added later in the video, “I want to be all I can be and then get back to New York and get on down with ‘The Wendy Williams Show.’”
The mention of her mother was the first thing fans pointed out as an aberration — Williams announced in 2020 that Shirley Williams had died. The second clue? Her age. Williams turned 57 on July 18 of last year, but in the video, she repeatedly says she’s a year younger than that.
“At 56 years old, there are things that happen to people. I would say things usually start about 40, and they go up from there,” the talk-show host says in the video, then laughs. She also talks about a daily routine of going to the gym, walking on the beach and eating a mostly vegetarian diet.
“This is a break from New York. New York is fast-paced, which I love,” Williams said in the video. “I love here in Florida as much as I love New York. They are two very different things ... but New York is my heart, and this is, Florida’s a beautiful place. Beautiful, regular, sometimes weird in a good way. Aren’t we all weird in a good way?”
“I want to see her back, but this is certainly not from today,” one Instagram commenter wrote on the post, “no matter what her publicist says.”
It’s unclear who created the new account or whose publicity effort it might be; her publicist had no comment Thursday, citing a gag order in a recent court case concerning a possible guardianship for Williams.
Amid the many comments calling out the video as old, people also posted positive thoughts and prayers for Williams’ recovery.
“I am so happy to see this new video of Wendy walking on the beach in Florida. Wendy did what so many others couldn’t in daytime TV and I hope she returns when she is ready,” talk-show host Tamron Hall said in a separate post on Instagram and Twitter, reposting the video and appearing unaware of the chronological disparities others had noted.
“Wendy wants the world to know that she strenuously denies all allegations about her mental health and well-being,” her attorney, LaShawn Thomas, told the Los Angeles Times in a statement this week. “During this hiatus from the show, Wendy has employed holistic health professionals to help her reach optimal health during her treatment of Graves’ disease and thyroid concerns.”
“The Wendy Williams Show” has been in production during its 13th season without its namesake in the purple chair. Since the season began in October, after delays due to Williams’ health concerns, there has been a rotating cast of guest hosts. It was recently announced that Sherri Shepherd will take over as “permanent guest host” for the rest of the season. What will happen to the hit syndicated show after that is less certain.
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