Wendy Williams, the legendary talk show host, is speaking out about a painful betrayal. In a revealing interview with TMZ’s Harvey Levin, Williams claimed that her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., misused her money behind her back, contributing to the financial troubles that ultimately led to her being placed under a court-ordered guardianship.
Williams, 59, shared her emotional story from inside her assisted living facility in New York. She didn’t hold back her frustration in the candid conversation, which aired as part of the “TMZ Presents: Saving Wendy” documentary on Tubi.
“My son, he overstepped his boundaries regarding me, He was inappropriately using my money without telling me anything about it.”
She said.
The situation took a turn when Williams realized how much money was missing. She pointed to an incident where her son allegedly received $113,000 from Wells Fargo instead of the $1,500 he requested to rent a boat for his birthday. Levin questioned the claim’s validity, stating it never quite made sense to him. Williams agreed, saying the whole ordeal raised serious concerns about her finances.
“Like, is he stealing from me? All I know is that this is still going on; that’s when my money got frozen at Wells Fargo, thank God. No more money stealing from my son and other people.”
She said.
The charges contributed to Wells Fargo freezing her accounts in early 2022 in concern of financial exploitation. The court then ordered a financial guardianship, making Williams incapable of managing her money.
While Williams always praised her son in interviews, their relationship appeared to be rocky.
“My son is a wonderful human, but he is horrible to me at this point,”
she admitted in the movie. There is a report that Kevin Jr. is in financial trouble, even getting evicted from his Miami apartment for not paying his rent.
Court documents from September indicate that Kevin Jr. apologized for past financial missteps. However, the court ruled that he could not ensure Williams’ financial safety and might expose her to further financial harm. His mother’s court-ordered conservatorship meant he could no longer rely on her financial support as he had before.
Williams’ financial troubles escalated in 2022 when Wells Fargo frozen her bank accounts. The bank cited concerns of “financial exploitation, dementia, or undue influence,” particularly after large withdrawals were made under suspicious circumstances. The court then appointed a financial guardian to oversee her finances, limiting her access to her money.
Williams has expressed frustration over these restrictions, comparing her situation to being in “prison.” Her former lawyer claimed that she was unhappy with the terms of the guardianship, as she was only given a limited allowance.
Williams believes the root of her confinement is all about control over her money. “It’s about my money, It’s about holding my money and using it for other people and nothing for me.”
she repeated in her interview.
Despite Williams’ allegations, Kevin Jr. denied misusing his mother’s money. He acknowledged financial difficulties but insisted he was not responsible for his mother’s financial downfall. Williams’ manager, Will Selby, also defended Kevin Jr., claiming that Williams’ financial struggles are due to the guardianship and not her son’s actions.
Williams’ representative, Shawn Zanotti, has criticized media outlets for spreading what she calls “false narratives” about the family’s financial issues. She accused publications of releasing misleading information without properly verifying the facts.
In addition to her financial woes, Williams has been battling serious health conditions. In 2023, she was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, conditions that affect communication and cognitive abilities. Despite this, she has publicly denied having dementia and insists she feels “fantastic.”
Her family, including her sister and son, has raised concerns about her ongoing isolation in a New York care facility. They believe that being separated from loved ones is only making matters worse. Kevin Jr. has been vocal about his desire for his mother to return home, arguing that “isolation is killing her faster than anything else.”
In a desperate attempt to regain control, Williams’ family has even launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise legal funds, hoping to challenge the guardianship in court. They argue that the legal system has failed her and that they could provide better care than a court-appointed guardian ever could.
Once a dominant force in entertainment, Williams now faces an uncertain future. The fight to reclaim control of her life and finances is far from over, and the world is watching to see how it all unfolds. For now, her fans—many of whom have followed her journey for decades—are left hoping that the outspoken media icon will again have the last word.
