Wendy Williams Struggled to Comprehend Talk Show Cancellation, Niece Says: 'It Took a Little Bit of Convincing'

'The Wendy Williams Show' was taken off air in 2022, almost two years before Williams was diagnosed with aphasia and dementia

Wendy Williams didn’t initially understand her talk show was canceled, according to her family.

Williams’ niece Alex Finnie recounted the moment she explained to her aunt that The Wendy Williams Show had been removed from air. “I got serious, and I said, ‘I want to really explain something to you so that you can get this,’” Finnie said in conversation with CNN. “’There’s no more Wendy Williams Show. They decided to cancel it. After so many fabulous seasons, this curtain has come down.’”

That wasn’t enough to help Williams, 59, comprehend the decision, over which the host had no sway. “I remember her saying, ’What are you talking about? Of course, I have the show,’” Finnie said, adding, “It took a little bit of convincing and conversations with the powers that be from her show for her to really understand that the show is no more.”

Related: Wendy Williams' Family Break Their Silence on Her 'Shocking and Heartbreaking' Struggles Over the Past 3 Years (Exclusive)

The Wendy Williams Show aired 13 seasons over 14 years and ultimately concluded in 2022 without Williams on screen. At the time of the cancellation, Sherri Shepherd had been standing in as Williams’ temporary replacement. The show evolved in format and became today’s Sherri.

On Thursday, Williams’ care team announced the former host has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The diagnosis came as news to Williams’ family members, who are not involved in Williams’ decisions and care because of an external guardianship.

Where Is Wendy Williams?, a documentary detailing Williams’ life and recent years off screen, will explore the media personality’s health concerns, alcohol misuse and financial struggles, among other topics. Williams is listed as an executive producer on the two-night special.

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Pending legal action, Where Is Wendy Williams? is scheduled to premiere Saturday at 8 p.m. and concludes at the same time the next day on Lifetime.

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