Wendy Williams’ former attorney has spoken out amid news of the former talk show host’s diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
LaShawn Thomas, an attorney with the Miami Entertainment Law Group who previously represented the star, posted a lengthy statement Saturday on Instagram — alongside a video Williams shot two years ago — encouraging his followers to “ask the tough questions.”
“I weighed this decision for a long time. I kept quiet because they threatened me with physical and financial harm, but I just couldn’t keep quiet anymore – the caption began. “While Wendy was in Miami with her son, I would often witness candid moments of their mother-son dynamic. I could tell he loved his mother very much, and as you can see, the feeling was mutual.”
“You can clearly see the difference between Wendy’s well-being during her time here in Florida with her son taking care of her and her lack in New York under this ‘guardianship,'” she continued. “These Wendy’s are not the same. How her health deteriorated so quickly and why the only child is not allowed to be with her. She wasn’t like that when he cared about her.”
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Thomas shared that she took the video of Williams “2 weeks before Wendy was ordered by the court to return to New York to answer the custody petition filed by her BANK…get it.”
Wells Fargo filed a motion in January 2022, prompting the court to place Williams under temporary financial conservatorship. This allegedly happened because she was at risk of financial exploitation due to her cognitive problems.
A spokesperson for the financial services firm, meanwhile, shared with PEOPLE, “This case is being handled under seal. All claims against Wells Fargo have been dismissed.”
Wendy Williams and son Kevin Hunter Jr. attended the ceremony honoring Wendy Williams with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 17, 2019.
Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Thomas concluded her recent post with a personal anecdote about her own mother, who died in October 2022 “from complications related to an ALS diagnosis,” as she pleaded that Wendy’s son, Kevin Hunter Jr., be allowed to spend time with his mother .
“If Wendy’s diagnosis is correct, now more than ever her son should be allowed the same grace,” she added. “He deserves it… and most importantly, Wendy deserves it.”
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The statement from Williams’ former lawyer came just two days after her medical team released a statement about her current medical condition.
“In 2023, after a series of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD),” Jennifer Hanley of the Ridge Hill Group said in a press release. Williams’ symptoms, which together affect her language and communication, behavior and cognitive function, “already posed significant obstacles in Wendy’s life.”
Williams’ family told PEOPLE that her guardian and current medical team have kept them out of the details of her life, including her location and the state of her health.
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Wendy Williams front row at Chiara Boni during New York Fashion Week: Shows at Gallery II at Spring Studios on September 7, 2019 in New York City.
Dominik Bindl/Getty
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For the past 10 months, she has been in an undisclosed facility to address cognitive issues, and her court-appointed legal guardian (whose identity remains secret) is the only person who currently has unhindered access to her. Her family said she could call them, but they themselves couldn’t call her.
“How did she go from this aunt or sister that we love and is healthy one minute to this person who is in and out of the hospital?” Williams’ sister, Wanda Finnie, asked. “How is that system better than the system the family could have put in place? I don’t know. I know this system is broken. I hope that at some point Wendy becomes strong enough to speak for herself.”
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Source: HIS Education