Television Personality Wendy Williams Diagnosed With Aphasia And Dementia

Currently, Williams is able to do many things for herself. “Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed,” a statement made by her team read.

Former US talk show host Wendy Williams Hunter was diagnosed last year with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), after “undergoing a battery of medical tests”, her care team has now revealed. The team shared the news to “to correct inaccurate and hurtful rumours about her health”. The 59-year-old was the host of the popular ‘Wendy Williams Show’ for over a decade before it ended in 2022 amid reports of health struggles she had begun to face. The information about her health was conveyed on Thursday via a press release.

“As Wendy’s fans are aware, in the past she has been open with the public about her medical struggles with Graves’ Disease and Lymphedema as well as other significant challenges related to her health. Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy’s ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions,” the statement from Williams’ team read.

According to her representatives, the talk show host received her aphasia and dementia diagnoses in 2023 from Weill Cornell Medicine. The news of her diagnosis comes after People Magazine did a story in which Williams’ relatives said she was at a care facility in an ‘unknown location’.

Aphasia And Frontotemporal Dementia: What They Mean

The release stated that aphasia is a condition affecting language and communication abilities, and frontotemporal dementia is a progressive disorder impacting behaviour and cognitive functions. They have “already presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life”.

According to Mayo Clinic, aphasia usually happens suddenly after a stroke or a head injury. But it can also come on ‘gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative)’.

The severity of aphasia depends on a number of things, including the cause and the extent of the brain damage. Its treatment involves treating the condition that causes it, along with speech and language therapy. The person will have to relearn and practise language skills, and learn to use other ways to communicate.

Frontotemporal dementia, states the Mayo Clinic, is an ‘umbrella term’ for a group of brain diseases that affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. In it, parts of these lobes shrink — known as atrophy. Symptoms depend on which part of the brain has been affected. For instance, some patients have changes in their personalities. They become ‘socially inappropriate’, ‘impulsive’ or ’emotionally indifferent’. Others lose the ability to use language. Currently, there is no cure or treatment.

Raising Awareness About Aphasia And Frontotemporal Dementia

Williams’ team wrote that the decision to share this news was “difficult and made after careful consideration, not only to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, but to raise awareness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of others facing similar circumstances”.

“Unfortunately, many individuals diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia face stigma and misunderstanding, particularly when they begin to exhibit behavioural changes, but have not yet received a diagnosis. There is hope that with early detection and far more empathy, the stigma associated with dementia will be eliminated, and those affected will receive the understanding, support, and care they deserve and need.”

Currently, Williams is able to do many things for herself. “Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed,” the statement read.

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