No, she didn't.
Honestly, the internet has a weird obsession with killing off celebrities before their time, and Wendy Williams is currently the prime target for those "RIP" hoaxes that flood your Facebook feed. As of January 2026, the former "Queen of Daytime" is very much alive. But, to be fair to the people clicking those links, the situation is... complicated. It's not like she's just on a long vacation.
If you’ve been following the news, you know it’s been a rough few years for Wendy. We’re talking about a woman who spent over a decade dominating the "Hot Topics" segment, only to become a hot topic herself in the most heartbreaking way possible. Between the legal battles, the health scares, and that devastating Lifetime documentary, the "did Wendy Williams die" searches aren't actually coming from a place of malice—most of the time, it’s just genuine confusion.
The Reality of Wendy's Health Right Now
So, if she's alive, where is she? Basically, she's been living in a treatment facility in New York.
Back in early 2024, her medical team went public with a diagnosis that explained a lot of the erratic behavior we saw toward the end of her show: primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). If those sound familiar, it’s because it’s the same condition Bruce Willis is battling. It’s a beast. It affects how you talk, how you process language, and eventually, how you behave.
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But here’s the twist that has everyone talking in 2026. Wendy isn't just sitting back and accepting the "incapacitated" label.
Late last year, around November 2025, a bombshell report dropped. A New York neurologist reportedly re-evaluated her and suggested that the dementia diagnosis might have been wrong—or at least, not as severe as her legal guardians claimed. Wendy herself called into The Breakfast Club and was blunt about it. She said she feels like she’s in "prison." She’s fighting to get her money back and her life back.
What People Get Wrong About FTD
A lot of fans think that a dementia diagnosis means you’re just "gone" mentally. It doesn't work like that.
- Aphasia makes it hard to find the right words, which can make someone look confused even if they know exactly what they want to say.
- Resilience is real. Since getting sober, people close to Wendy say she’s had a "remarkable" turnaround.
- The "Memory Unit" where she’s been staying is reportedly costing a staggering $18,000 a month. Wendy has been vocal that she doesn't belong there.
The Guardianship Drama (The Real "Prison")
The reason why "did Wendy Williams die" keeps trending is often tied to her total disappearance from public life. You can't just go to her Instagram and see what she had for lunch. Everything is controlled by a court-appointed guardian.
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Wells Fargo originally froze her accounts years ago because they suspected "undue influence." Basically, they thought people were taking advantage of her. Since May 2022, she hasn't had control over her own bank accounts or even her own schedule.
It’s a messy legal tug-of-war. On one side, you have her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, who has filed documents claiming Wendy is "permanently incapacitated." On the other side, you have Wendy and her lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who are shouting from the rooftops that she’s competent. She even made a surprise appearance at New York Fashion Week recently looking, well, like Wendy. She told reporters she felt like "a zillion dollars."
Why the Rumors Won't Quit
We live in an era of "death by algorithm." When a celebrity stops posting, the internet assumes the worst. For Wendy, her struggle with Graves’ disease and lymphedema—which causes that visible swelling in her feet—already had people worried for years.
Then came the documentary Where Is Wendy Williams?. It was hard to watch. It showed her in some of her lowest moments, struggling with alcohol and memory loss. For many viewers, that was the last "official" thing they saw, so they assumed the trajectory only went down from there.
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But 2026 Wendy seems to be a different story.
She’s been seen out and about in NYC more frequently. There’s talk of her returning to a podcast or some form of media, though the legal red tape is thicker than a New York phone book. Her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., and her sister, Wanda, have been pushing for her to be closer to family, arguing that the current system is "broken."
Navigating the Noise
If you see a headline saying she’s passed away, check the source. Usually, these are "clickbait" sites looking to harvest your data or get ad revenue. Real news about Wendy usually breaks through major outlets like People or The Hollywood Reporter because the legal case is so high-profile.
The truth is, Wendy Williams is a fighter. She’s survived a lot—a messy divorce, health crises, and the loss of her mother. While she’s clearly dealing with a progressive condition that requires care, she hasn't given up the ghost.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to stay updated without falling for the hoaxes, keep an eye on court filings regarding her guardianship. Those are the only places where the "real" facts about her status come out, away from the gossip mill. You can also follow the #FreeWendy movement on social media, which is where her family often shares small updates when they are legally allowed to do so.
Don't believe the "RIP" posts. Wendy is still here, still talking, and still fighting to be the one in charge of her own story.