A&E has filed a countersuit against Wendy Williams' guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, in the ongoing legal dispute over the Lifetime documentary about the former talk show host. In the new lawsuit, the cable network asserts that they had the right to broadcast the 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' docuseries, which Morrissey attempted to halt when it debuted in February, according to TMZ.
A&E claims that Williams, 60, signed a talent agreement prior to her mental incapacitation due to her battle with dementia. Morrissey, on the other hand, is suing A&E for allegedly exploiting Williams by showcasing her personal struggles in the documentary. A&E has now countersued Morrissey for allegedly infringing upon the company's First Amendment rights, particularly when she sought legal action earlier this year to prevent the docuseries from airing.
The network argues that Morrissey is attempting to deny Williams 'one of her last chances to exercise her autonomy and honestly reach her fans in exactly the frank and unfiltered manner that was the hallmark of her career,' according to TMZ. The Post has contacted Williams' representative for comment.
Williams has been under a court-ordered guardianship that manages her health and finances since her diagnosis with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. The former radio host is reportedly in a care facility with limited family contact. In February, Morrissey filed a lawsuit against A&E, but her efforts to cancel 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' were unsuccessful. Williams was allegedly paid only $82,000 for the controversial documentary.
In one scene, Williams visited her hometown of Asbury Park, NJ, and identified her childhood street, only to be corrected by a passerby. Another scene depicted a disoriented Williams shouting at her driver and former publicist to purchase vape pens. Upon arriving at her usual smoke shop, Williams threw a tantrum. Recently, Morrissey's attorneys filed court documents alleging that A&E, Lifetime, and other parties involved in the documentary 'cruelly took advantage' of Williams' 'cognitive and physical decline' and requested a trial to resolve the case. Morrissey's legal team stated that Williams is currently 'cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and incapacitated' due to her dementia battle.
In the filing, A&E, Lifetime, and the other defendants argued that they had Williams' 'consent, input, and participation' to make the documentary before her dementia diagnosis and before she had a guardian. They also claimed that Morrissey initiated the legal battle 'to attempt to excuse her own failure to protect' Williams.
Williams has retreated from public life amid her health struggles. She informed her fans that she needed 'personal space and peace to thrive' after revealing her frontotemporal dementia and aphasia diagnoses in February 2024. 'I hope that others with FTD may benefit from my story,' she said in a statement. 'Please just know that your positivity and encouragement are deeply appreciated.'
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