You’ve probably heard it in a barber shop, seen it in a snarky YouTube comment, or scrolled past a meme about it. The question of whether is Wendy Williams transexual has been a fixture of pop culture gossip for nearly thirty years. It’s one of those rumors that simply refuses to die, sticking to her like glitter after a long night out.
Honestly, the "Queen of All Media" has spent more time addressing her gender than some people spend on their actual careers.
Wendy is 5'11". She has a famously statuesque build, a sharp jawline, and a penchant for wearing some of the most dramatic wigs in television history. For decades, shock jocks and rival talk show hosts used these physical traits as a weapon. They didn't just critique her gossip; they attacked her womanhood.
But here is the flat-out truth: Wendy Williams is a cisgender woman. She was born female. She gave birth to her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., in 2000. She has been open about her plastic surgery, her health struggles, and her "tortured" childhood, but she has never been transgender.
Why the rumors started in the first place
The gossip didn't start with her TV show. It goes back to her days in radio, particularly when she was at WBLS and Hot 97 in New York. Howard Stern and even some rappers she sparred with would frequently use transphobic slurs or suggest she was "a man in a dress" to get under her skin.
It was a classic, albeit cruel, tactic. If you couldn't beat her at the gossip game, you attacked her appearance.
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In a 2014 interview with ABC News, Wendy got incredibly real about it. She admitted that people truly believe she was born a man. "I get it," she told them. "I've got a strong face, a strong body. I'm 5'11. I wear wigs." She basically explained that because she doesn't fit the "petite" mold of a traditional TV host, people’s imaginations ran wild.
The Graves' Disease Factor
What most people get wrong is confusing her medical conditions with her gender identity. Wendy has been living with Graves' disease for over two decades.
It’s an autoimmune disorder that causes the thyroid to go haywire. One of the most visible symptoms? Exophthalmos, which is the medical term for bulging eyes. Over the years, as her condition fluctuated, her facial structure changed. People noticed the physical shifts and, instead of offering empathy, they fueled the "is Wendy Williams transexual" fire.
Then there’s the lymphedema. This condition causes massive swelling in her feet and ankles, which is why she famously ditched her high heels for sneakers during the final seasons of The Wendy Williams Show.
- Graves' Disease: Causes eye bulging and weight fluctuations.
- Lymphedema: Leads to extreme swelling in the extremities.
- Wigs: Used to cover hair loss related to her thyroid issues.
When you add up these medical realities, you get a woman whose body was changing in ways she couldn't always control. In the brutal world of celebrity tabloids, those changes were frequently misinterpreted as "evidence" of a gender transition.
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The irony of the transphobia accusations
There’s a weird layer to this story. While Wendy was being bullied with transphobic rumors, she was also frequently accused of being transphobic herself.
In 2014, she caught major heat for a segment about transgender athlete Chloie Jonsson. She later apologized, saying she was a "longtime LGBT ally" but needed to be "better educated on the T." Then, in 2020, she landed in hot water again after telling gay men to "stop wearing our skirts and our heels," arguing that they would "never be the women that we are."
It’s a bizarre cycle. She was a victim of the very same narrow-minded thinking she sometimes displayed on her purple chair.
Where is Wendy now?
As of 2026, the conversation around Wendy has shifted from "what is she" to "how is she." Since her show's cancellation, we’ve learned the devastating truth about her health. In early 2024, her care team confirmed she had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
This is the same condition Bruce Willis has. It affects how you speak, how you act, and how you process the world.
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The rumors about her gender feel pretty small and insignificant now. Looking back at the footage from her final seasons, you can see a woman struggling with cognitive decline, not someone hiding a "secret" past. The erratic behavior that people used to mock was actually the beginning of a brain disorder.
What we can learn from the Wendy rumors
The obsession with Wendy’s gender says a lot more about society than it does about her. It highlights how we often use "masculinity" as an insult against women who are tall, outspoken, or unconventional-looking.
If you're looking for the definitive answer: Wendy Williams is a woman who has spent her life in the public eye, through marriages, motherhood, and now, a heart-wrenching health battle.
Next Steps for You
- Verify the source: If you see a "clickbait" headline about Wendy’s past, remember that her son’s birth and her medical history are well-documented facts.
- Support the cause: Learn more about Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Raising awareness helps reduce the stigma for families dealing with what Wendy is currently facing.
- Watch with empathy: If you revisit old episodes of her show, look at them through the lens of someone struggling with Graves' disease and early-stage dementia. It changes the perspective entirely.