Wendy Williams diagnosed with dementia and aphasia

The 59-year-old’s team gave an update on the former talk show host’s health on Thursday ahead of her upcoming documentary on Lifetime.

Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, her team revealed on Thursday, per NBC News.

Her team revealed that the former radio and talk show host, 59, was diagnosed last year after “undergoing several medical tests,” and that the conditions “presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life.” Her team said in the statement, “Wendy would not have received confirmation of these diagnoses were it not for the diligence of her current care team, who she chose, and the extraordinary work of the specialists at Weill Cornell Medicine.”

“Receiving a diagnosis has enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires,” the statement continued. As NBC News points out, Mayo Clinic defines primary progressive aphasia as “a nervous system syndrome that affects a person’s ability to communicate,” and that people who have it, “often have trouble expressing their thoughts and can lose their ability to speak and write.”

Frontotemporal dementia covers a group of diseases affecting “areas of the brain associated with personality, behavior and language,” according to Mayo Clinic. As NBC News reported, actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with aphasia which progressed to frontotemporal dementia in 2022.

As theGrio previously reported, the latest news about Williams’ health comes days before Lifetime’s upcoming two-part documentary on the beloved personality. Williams produced the documentary, “Where is Wendy Williams?,” which is set to delve into her life since her sudden departure from television and the public eye in 2021.

“Where is Wendy Williams?” premieres Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.

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