Whether she was declaring Beyoncé inarticulate or airing out her concerns about Tabitha Brown’s marriage, Williams had no fear about eliciting the wrath of the Beyhive or prompting viral clapbacks. (“Wendy, the pain you must be in to feel this way. Honey, I’m so sorry,” Brown replied, in what became a meme corralling shade with earnestness.) Williams was shady and ridiculous, but there were also subtler moments that captured why she was good at her job and understood pop culture.
She clearly watched the shows she talked about and knew how to make good television. For instance, nobody else would needle Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice about being jealous of her sister-in-law to her face, knowing full well the wrong brand of cookies had started a major family drama between them. No other daytime host could give the perfect expression she made as former Danity Kane member and Celebrity Apprentice contestant Aubrey O’Day sat with her, explaining how she was more “urban” than the other corny white castmates on the reality show. Williams basically winked at the audience, repeating, “So urban.”
But it all started to crumble around 2017 when she collapsed on air in a Statue of Liberty costume. There were rumors that her longtime husband had had an affair and fathered a child with his girlfriend, which were eventually confirmed. She took some time off in 2018 and 2019, revealing tearfully on her own talk show that she had been in rehab.
Williams returned in full throttle to “Hot Topics” by 2020, admonishing Future to tie his “penis in a knot” and jokingly wishing death on Britney Spears’ parents during the conservatorship battle. She was still often called out for her victim-blaming misogyny and anti-gay comments.
Early last year, she didn’t just come back to the talk show, though; she also seemed to be in a nostalgic mood and concerned with claiming her story. She created a gonzo Lifetime TV movie as well as a candid documentary, in which she munches on caviar and Cheetos and tearfully talks about the end of her marriage.
Last fall, she disappeared once again, raising speculation and prompting producers to bring in all the guest hosts. The range of people — across genders and races — speaks to the assortment of Williams’ own audience, as she was one of the few hosts who particularly spoke to Black women and gay men.
This week’s announcement, after months of her publicity team’s face-saving “Wendy will be back” postponements, led to tributes to Williams on Twitter. “As a queer, this show was an escape and always will be. 13+ Years on Daytime?! LEGENDARY!,” one user wrote. Andy Cohen shouted her out on his own talk show, proclaiming, “We love you, Wendy.”
Perhaps the biggest tribute to her longevity is remembering the numerous A-list TV personalities who flopped in the format during her reign, including Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, Meredith Vieira, and Bethenny Frankel. When Ellen DeGeneres’s nice persona crumbled and her talk show ended, Williams pointed out, “19 years on TV doesn’t change your life — it exposes you for the person you really are.”
And to her credit, Williams mostly owned her imperfections. In an interview with Cohen last year, he asked how she had come up with the title for her candid documentary, Wendy Williams: What a Mess! She said it was her reaction to the boring titles pitched by Lifetime executives. It’s a fitting self-admonishment — and tribute. ●