Wendy Williams – Lifetime
*Sabrina Morrissey, the court-appointed guardian of Wendy Williams, alleges that the former talk show host was not in a fit mental state when she signed a contract to participate in the controversial new Lifetime docuseries “Where Is Wendy Williams?”
Morrissey filed a lawsuit on February 20 to prevent the docuseries from airing four days later. PEOPLE reports that the lawsuit was unsealed this week. In it, Morrissey claims the project “shamelessly exploits [Williams] and portrays her in an extremely demeaning and undignified manner.”
The legal filing also alleges that Lifetime “incorrectly states that she is ‘broke’ and cruelly implies that her disoriented demeanor is due to substance abuse and intoxication.”
Morrissey points out that the docuseries contains privately filmed footage of the talk show that A&E Television Networks, Lifetime’s parent company, failed to get approval to use for distribution.
The documents additionally assert that prior court and guardian authorization was required for all contracts before the documentary could be publicly aired. Morrissey alleges that Williams could not consent to the terms of her contract with the network.
“She was not, and is not, capable for consenting to the terms of the documentary Contract,” Morrissey said in court docs, Complex reports. “And no one acting in [Williams’] best interest would allow her to be portrayed in the demeaning manner in which she is portrayed in the Trailer for the documentary.”
Morrissey claims she approved the docuseries because she was told it would portray Williams positively. The project would only proceed with the “review and final approval of the Guardian and the court, who are responsible for [Williams’] wellbeing,” the legal filing states, according to PEOPLE. However, Morrissey claims no permissions were sought, and she was “horrified” upon viewing the trailer. She filed a lawsuit to stop the series from airing.
Lfetime’s “Where Is Wendy Williams?” premiered Feb. 24, and the second installment aired the next day. Morrissey accuses the network of “unconscionably” exploiting Williams for “entertainment value.”
“This blatant exploitation of a vulnerable woman with a serious medical condition who is beloved by millions within and outside of African American community is disgusting, and it cannot be allowed,” the document reads.
Williams grapples with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, conditions that affect both her behavior and cognitive abilities.
PEOPLE reports that Lifetime responded to Morrissey’s allegations in a statement, saying, “We look forward to the unsealing of our papers as well, as they tell a very different story.”
READ MORE: Wendy Williams Was ‘Exploited’ by Lifetime Documentary Producers, Publicist Says
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