Wendy Williams Exploitation Alleged in Documentary Lawsuit

Wendy Williams’ legal battle against A+E Networks over a documentary about her health struggles continues. An amended lawsuit filed in New York County Supreme Court seeks all documentary profits to fund Williams’ medical care, alleging she received only $82,000 for participating in the project, which documented her struggles with family, fame, and addiction for nearly a year. The amended complaint adds Lifetime Entertainment Services, Creature Films, and producer Mark Ford as defendants, joining A&E and EOne Productions.

The complaint argues that $82,000 is insufficient compensation considering the invasive and humiliating footage, allegedly portraying Williams experiencing dementia. It contends the defendants likely earned millions from streaming the program.

In March, Williams’ temporary guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, sued A+E Networks, claiming the documentary contract was invalid due to Williams’ incapacity to consent during filming. The suit alleged Williams was misled into believing the film would be “positive and beneficial.”

Morrissey initially sought a temporary restraining order to block the documentary’s release, which was granted but later overturned. High-profile attorney Roberta Kaplan, known for representing E. Jean Carroll, joined Williams’ legal team. Kaplan accused the defendants of “viciously and shamelessly exploiting Wendy Williams for their own profit while she was obviously incapacitated and suffering from dementia.”

The amended complaint alleges Williams’ former manager, Will Selby, orchestrated her involvement, assuring Morrissey the film would focus on Williams’ media return and he would have creative control. Similar assurances were allegedly given to EOne’s lawyers. However, the complaint claims a one-sided talent agreement was drafted after Williams was filmed in a disheveled and mentally confused state. It asserts no one witnessing her condition could have believed she consented to filming or the agreement.

Despite Morrissey refusing further filming after Williams began receiving around-the-clock care and lacking a finalized contract, A&E released a promotional trailer in February. The complaint criticizes the filmmakers for portraying Williams as a “laughingstock and drunkard,” including unflattering footage of her without her wig.

The complaint emphasizes Williams always wears her wig for meetings and would never consent to being filmed without it publicly.

The four-and-a-half-hour documentary, airing in February, included footage spanning seven months of Williams’ life before entering a facility for cognitive issues. Despite the controversy, the documentary achieved blockbuster ratings, averaging over a million viewers and becoming Lifetime’s biggest nonfiction debut in two years. Williams, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., and Selby are credited as executive producers.

The legal battle continues, raising ethical questions about filmmakers’ responsibility in documentary news when portraying vulnerable individuals. The outcome could have significant industry implications.