Former Talk Show Host’s Plea for Help Sparks Wellness Check and Outrage

March 10, 2025 – New York City - Williams, the former daytime TV icon, was rushed to a hospital Monday after dropping a handwritten note from the fifth-story window of her assisted living facility in New York City, pleading for help. The note, which simply read “HELP! WENDY!!,” was tossed to a paparazzo below around 11:15 a.m. ET, prompting a swift response from the New York Police Department (NYPD) and emergency services.

The 60-year-old, diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia in 2023, has been under a court-ordered guardianship since 2022, a situation she has repeatedly likened to “prison.” Witnesses reported seeing Williams waving her arms frantically from her window while speaking on the phone, appearing distressed. Shortly after, NYPD officers escorted her from the Hudson Yards facility to a waiting ambulance, which transported her to Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side for an independent cognitive evaluation.

The dramatic incident follows months of legal battles as Williams fights to end her guardianship, overseen by court-appointed guardian Sabrina Morrissey. Morrissey has maintained that Williams is “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated,” a claim Williams fiercely disputes. In a January interview with TMZ, she insisted, “I am not cognitively impaired. I feel like I am in prison and not allowed to go outside of my own free will.” Monday’s events have reignited public and familial concerns about her treatment, with posts on X demanding her release under the hashtag #FreeWendy.

The NYPD confirmed the wellness check was initiated after a 911 call reported a woman in distress, though officers found Williams calm upon arrival. She walked to the ambulance unaided, flanked by police, in what authorities described as a routine service call with no active investigation. Sources close to the situation suggest the hospital visit aims to assess whether her cognitive functions are intact enough to challenge the guardianship—a potential turning point in her long-running saga.

Williams’ plight has drawn widespread attention, amplified by her scheduled phone appearance on ABC’s The View this Friday—her first daytime TV stint since leaving The Wendy Williams Show in 2022. Suzanne Bass, the show’s former co-executive producer, hinted at the event on Instagram, writing, “Prepping a very special friend for her appearance @theviewabc. #freewendy.” It remains unclear if Monday’s hospitalization will affect her plans.

Public reaction has been visceral. On X, supporters rallied with messages like “Run Wendy run!” while others questioned the guardianship system’s oversight. Her family, long vocal about their limited access to her, reportedly welcomed the evaluation as a step toward clarity. Meanwhile, critics of Morrissey’s stewardship point to Williams’ recent affidavit asserting she has “regained capacity,” filed in February after she fired her court-appointed lawyer.

The incident caps a turbulent period for Williams, whose health struggles—including Graves’ disease and addiction—have been chronicled in the controversial Lifetime docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams? Her diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, a progressive condition affecting behavior and language, has only deepened the public’s fascination and concern.

As Williams undergoes evaluation, the spotlight remains on her fight for autonomy. Whether this latest chapter signals a breakthrough or further confinement, one thing is clear: the former shock jock’s voice—however faint—still commands attention.