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After a highly-publicized birthday dinner on Friday, Wendy Williams joins former The Wendy Williams Show producers for a long overdue lunch date. Producers Suzzane Bass and her husband Brendan Higgins, shared the photos with a happy Wendy on social media. "A long overdue lunch with our dear old friend Wendy.
..," captioned Suzzane.
"Her light still shines so bright...
love." Williams appeared in great spirits in the photos. The final episode of The Wendy Williams Show aired on June 17, 2022, closing the curtain on a 13-year legacy.
Yet the woman whose name defined the show was nowhere in sight. Wendy Williams, who had been absent since mid-2021 due to serious health complications, was not part of the farewell. Her absence cast a long shadow over what was meant to be a celebratory sendoff.
In her place, guest host Sherri Shepherd—who had filled in regularly during Williams’ hiatus—led the finale. The episode included a brief tribute to Williams, acknowledging her place in daytime TV history. But for many fans, the absence of the host’s voice, presence, or even a recorded message made the goodbye feel hollow.
More: Wendy Williams Enjoys Dinner With Don Lemon After Hiring Celebrity Attorney Joe Tacopina View this post on Instagram A post shared by HOLLYWOOD UNLOCKED (@hollywoodunlocked) Williams later spoke publicly about the finale and didn’t hide her disappointment. Watching it from home, she described the experience as leaving her feeling “ick.” Her frustrations ran deeper than the on-air tribute.
She called out the production company for excluding her entirely and expressed bewilderment over the abrupt disappearance of the show’s YouTube archive and social media presence—platforms that had served as digital time capsules for her most viral moments. Since the show's cancellation, Williams’ personal life has taken several difficult turns. In 2023, she was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, conditions that impair language and cognitive abilities.
Her diagnosis made headlines and raised concern among longtime viewers. Under legal guardianship, she has faced limited control over her personal and financial affairs, though she has stated her determination to reclaim independence. Despite the obstacles, Williams has not gone quiet.
She’s channeled her energy into a new chapter: her podcast, The Wendy Experience . The project is designed to reconnect with her audience on her own terms, outside the confines of network television. The end of The Wendy Williams Show was more than the close of a program.
It marked the departure of one of television’s most distinct voices—a host who built a brand on irreverence, instinct, and unfiltered conversation. While the finale aired without her, Wendy’s influence on daytime TV remains impossible to erase. Her story continues, not from the purple chair, but from a place of survival, resilience, and reinvention.
More: Wendy Williams Enlists A$AP Rocky's Lawyer Joe Tacopina To Represent Her In Guardianship Case.
