Wendy Williams apologizes for slurring her way through show, blames painkillers

Suzy Byrne
·Editor, Yahoo Entertainment

Wendy Williams must really be looking forward to her holiday break.

On Thursday’s Wendy Williams Show, fans noticed that she appeared to be slurring her words. It was so bad that some viewers even wondered if she had suffered a stroke.

The TV personality later took to social media to apologize and to say that she’s been dealing with health issues. The slurring could be attributed to pain medication she’s been taking after she fractured her shoulder over the weekend, she explained. Additionally, she continues to deal with her hyperthyroidism.

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To My Wendy Watchers, I sincerely apologize if you feel that today's show was less than stellar. I’m on your TV screens every day wanting to spread laughter, entertainment and cheer. As I reported earlier in the week, I have a hairline fracture on my upper arm, which hurts like hell. I’ve never broken a bone or experienced a fracture in my life. In the key place where the fracture is, and trying to scurry around and do too much, I am now paying the price. I've never taken a pain medication in my life (except when I got snatched over 20 years ago) until this week. I did that to power through and try to deliver a great show for you, against the better judgement of the many people around me who genuinely care for my well-being. I really do ride or die for my craft and give 200%. Not to mention everyone is aware at this point about my thyroid condition (don’t cry for me Argentina). For all my fellow thyroid sufferers, you know what the deal is. And for those that don’t: I encourage you to please read up. Needless to say, whatever today's performance was with the legendary The Lox, who said such nice things, I have no regrets and I appreciate everyone’s genuine concern for my wellness and care. I promise you a better Wendy in 2019. I will get some much needed rest and healing over these next couple of weeks. (Yes I am definitely juicing over the next couple of weeks). Sorry again. I love you all. Happy Holidays!

A post shared by Wendy Williams (@wendyshow) on Dec 20, 2018 at 3:46pm PST

“I sincerely apologize if you feel that today’s show was less than stellar,” Williams started her post. “I’m on your TV screens every day wanting to spread laughter, entertainment and cheer. As I reported earlier in the week, I have a hairline fracture on my upper arm, which hurts like hell. I’ve never broken a bone or experienced a fracture in my life. In the key place where the fracture is, and trying to scurry around and do too much, I am now paying the price. I’ve never taken a pain medication in my life (except when I got snatched over 20 years ago) until this week. I did that to power through and try to deliver a great show for you, against the better judgement of the many people around me who genuinely care for my well-being. I really do ride or die for my craft and give 200%.”

Williams went on to mention her thyroid condition. “For all my fellow thyroid sufferers, you know what the deal is,” she wrote. “For those that don’t: I encourage you to please read up.”

Despite her apology, Williams wrote she has “no regrets,” though she appreciates “everyone’s genuine concern for my wellness and care. I promise you a better Wendy in 2019. I will get some much needed rest and healing over these next couple of weeks. (Yes I am definitely juicing over the next couple of weeks). Sorry again.”

The first sign of trouble was on Monday, when a rerun of her show aired, alarming fans. When Williams returned to the show Tuesday, she explained about her shoulder injury. But Thursday’s show had fans worried.

After Williams’s post admitting that she had taken pain pills, many fans said they could relate.

William also received a flood of well-wishes.

This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised over Williams’s health. Earlier this year, she took a three-week hiatus from her show to treat her Graves’ disease. Last year, during her Halloween episode, she fainted. That time, she said that she simply overheated under her costume.

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