If you’ve been following the messy, heartbreaking saga of Wendy Williams lately, you know it feels less like a Hollywood gossip item and more like a legal thriller that no one asked for. At the center of this storm is a name most people hadn't heard until very recently: Sabrina Morrissey.
She isn't a long-time friend. She isn't a family member. She is the court-appointed legal guardian who currently holds the keys to Wendy’s life, her money, and her very autonomy.
The situation is heavy. It's complicated. Honestly, it’s kinda terrifying how quickly a person’s world can be handed over to a stranger. Since May 2022, Wendy Williams has lived under this restrictive guardianship, and the friction between the legal system, Wendy herself, and her family has reached a boiling point.
Who is Sabrina Morrissey?
Let’s get the basics out of the way. Sabrina E. Morrissey is a New York-based attorney specializing in guardianship and estate law. She wasn't Wendy's choice.
The court stepped in after Wells Fargo froze Wendy’s accounts, claiming she was a "victim of undue influence and financial exploitation." The bank pointed fingers at her family, specifically her son Kevin Hunter Jr., alleging he was spending her money too fast. Whether that was true or just a young man trying to take care of his mother while she was sick depends on who you ask.
But once the court decided Wendy needed a "neutral" party, Morrissey was the one picked.
She holds an incredible amount of power. We’re talking about "plenary guardianship"—which is legalese for "she controls almost everything." This includes:
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- Where Wendy lives (currently a memory-care facility).
- Who gets to visit her (her family has frequently complained they are kept in the dark).
- How her money is spent (or not spent).
- Legal decisions regarding her career and public image.
The Documentary Drama and the Lawsuit
Things got weird—even weirder than usual—when the Lifetime documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? aired in early 2024. If you watched it, you saw a version of Wendy that was shocking. She was frail, confused, and struggling with what we now know is frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Sabrina Morrissey actually tried to stop that documentary from airing.
She filed a lawsuit against A&E Networks (Lifetime’s parent company), claiming the film "shamelessly exploits" a vulnerable woman. Morrissey argued that Wendy didn't have the mental capacity to sign the contract for the show. Her legal team even alleged that Wendy's signature on the deal didn't look genuine.
There’s a massive irony here. The documentary showed Wendy in a state of neglect—empty fridges, a publicist who seemed way out of her depth, and Wendy crying about having no money. If Morrissey was the guardian, critics asked, why was Wendy living like that?
The lawsuit basically became a "he-said, she-said" between the guardian and the producers. The producers claim the guardianship and Wendy's own team signed off on everything. Morrissey says they took advantage of a sick woman for ratings.
The #FreeWendy Movement
You can’t talk about Wendy Williams and guardian Sabrina Morrissey without mentioning the fans.
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Following the blueprint of the #FreeBritney movement, fans have taken to social media to demand Wendy’s release. The narrative from the "Free Wendy" camp is that Morrissey is an antagonist—a "gatekeeper" who has isolated Wendy from the people who actually love her.
Wendy herself hasn't been silent. In a phone interview with The Breakfast Club in early 2025, she sounded sharp. She was angry.
"I am not cognitively impaired, but I feel like I am in prison," Wendy said.
She claimed she had only $15 to her name and was being kept in a facility she described as a "dump." When a person under guardianship says they are being abused by the system, it’s hard not to listen. But the legal system works on medical evaluations, not radio interviews.
The Latest: Is the Guardianship Ending?
As of early 2026, there’s finally some movement. Wendy’s high-powered attorney, Joe Tacopina, has been very vocal about getting her out.
Recent medical evaluations have allegedly thrown a wrench in the original diagnosis. Tacopina told Nightline that new tests suggest Wendy does not have FTD, which would essentially negate the primary reason for the guardianship.
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Here is the current state of play as we head into 2026:
- Medical Disputes: A new evaluation reportedly shows Wendy has improved or was misdiagnosed. If she is found "not incapacitated," the guardianship must end.
- The End Date: Tacopina has stated he expects Wendy to be "out of guardianship" very soon, though court delays are notorious.
- Deposition Orders: A judge recently ruled that Wendy must give a deposition in the lawsuit against Lifetime, despite the dementia claims. This is a huge deal. If she is "unfit" to manage her money, how is she "fit" to testify in a major lawsuit?
The Takeaway: What We Can Learn
The Wendy Williams and guardian Sabrina Morrissey saga is a cautionary tale about the lack of "pre-need" planning. Because Wendy didn't have a bulletproof Power of Attorney or a designated person she trusted in place before things got bad, the state of New York made the choice for her.
If you want to avoid a "Sabrina Morrissey" situation in your own family, you need to act while everyone is healthy.
Practical Steps for Your Future
- Draft a Durable Power of Attorney: Choose someone you trust implicitly to handle your money if you can't.
- Create a Pre-Need Guardian Declaration: This is a document where you specifically name who you want to be your guardian and, more importantly, who you don't want.
- Keep Your Circle Informed: Secrecy is the guardian's best friend. Make sure multiple family members know where the money is and what your health status is.
- Audit Your Financial Advisors: Banks like Wells Fargo have the power to flag your accounts. Ensure your advisor is someone who communicates with your family, not just a corporate entity.
The fight for Wendy’s autonomy is far from over. Whether Morrissey has been a "protector" or an "isolator" is still being debated in sealed courtrooms. But for the rest of us, the message is clear: if you don't decide who manages your life, the court will find a stranger to do it for you.
To stay updated on Wendy's legal progress, keep an eye on court filings from the New York State Unified Court System, as the battle for her freedom moves into its final, most critical phase.
Actionable Insight: If you or a loved one are concerned about the transparency of a court-appointed guardian, you can contact your state’s Adult Protective Services or a specialized elder law attorney to request an accounting of assets. Under New York law, specifically Article 81, guardians are required to file annual reports. You have the right to challenge these if there is evidence of mismanagement.