Former talk show host Wendy Williams will be required to give testimony in her lawsuit against Lifetime and its parent company A&E, despite her medical diagnoses of frontotemporal dementia and aphasia.
Court documents seen by People on Tuesday show that the judge overseeing the case granted the network’s request to depose Williams. The judge ruled that her condition does not shield her from testifying, noting that the Federal Rules of Evidence do not require “mental ability” for testimony.
Williams, 61, will give her statement through a “de bene esse” deposition — a procedure used when a witness’ ability to testify later might decline due to age, health or memory issues. The deposition must be completed by November 4, will not last longer than three hours, and she will be allowed to testify remotely. The judge also directed that Williams be given breaks and that proceedings not extend beyond three days.
“It will be up to the jury in this case to decide what weight to give to [Williams’] deposition testimony,” the legal documents state.
Williams first filed the lawsuit in February 2024 through her legal guardian, Sabrina Morissey. Morissey accused Lifetime of filming the “Where is Wendy Williams?” documentary without proper clearance and claimed that Williams lacked the legal or mental capacity to approve her participation at the time. Attorneys for Williams have argued that the documentary was exploitative, while A&E has since pulled the series from circulation, saying it was out of respect for ongoing legal proceedings.
The former radio host has consistently denied claims that she is cognitively impaired and has said she is fighting to end her court-ordered guardianship. She recently underwent a second round of cognitive testing, which sources told People confirmed her dementia and aphasia diagnoses.
Speaking to Page Six, Williams expressed frustration over how her condition has been portrayed. “I will get out of guardianship,” she vowed.
