What Happened to Wendy Williams' Money?: Everything Her Family and Guardian Have Said About the Ailing Star's Finances 

Wendy Williams’ shocking story is still making headlines, nearly a month after news broke about her health battle with dementia and her life in foster care amid Lifetime’s release Where is Wendy Williams? documentary.

New court documents were released last week detailing the ongoing battle between Williams’ legal and financial guardian Sabrina Morrissey and Lifetime’s parent company A+E Networks. The documents, which talk about the documentary and hint at the state of Williams’ hotly debated finances, bring the mystery surrounding her money back into the spotlight.

Last month, the star’s family, including sister Wanda Finnie, 65, and niece Alex Finnie, 33, revealed their side of the story to PEOPLE, sharing details of what they claim happened when Williams was first placed under financial guardianship and what happened her money since then.

Wendy Williams.

Roy Rochlin/WireImage

In early 2022, Williams’ family, including her son Kevin Hunter, Jr., 23, with ex-husband Kevin Hunter, came under fire online when Wells Fargo froze the star’s accounts after her then-financial advisor said she was “of sound mind, ” according to Williams’ court filings. The bank successfully petitioned a New York court to place Williams under temporary financial conservatorship, allegedly because she was at risk of financial exploitation due to cognitive issues.

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Williams’ son was heavily involved at the time, given his status as her power of attorney and reports of a large sum of money being withdrawn from her account, causing concern at the bank. 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.”

“I took it very personally,” Wanda told PEOPLE about dealing with online allegations against her nephew and their entire family at the time. “I was wondering where that information would come from, and I don’t know where. All I know is that Wendy and her team walked into the courtroom one way and walked out, and the family was completely shut out.”

Wendy Williams. Manny Carabel/Getty

Just before the custody decision, Williams took a break from performing due to health reasons and stayed with her family in Florida where she was being cared for. Asked if the star had expressed any concerns about his finances in relation to their family at the time, Alex said: “No. She didn’t mention it. However, there was a period of weakness with my aunt, and the question will always be whether there were some people who took advantage of these weaknesses. And I think those questions are valid.”

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Stopping short of identifying specific individuals, Alex continued: “It breaks my heart when you see people like my aunt who are vulnerable and people look for that in them, and that’s what we’ve seen over the last few years. It pisses me off to no end.”

The documentary, which began filming after the guardianship was set up, showed Williams asking “Where’s my money?” and discuss being penniless and unable to access his accounts, although in one scene Williams’ manager Will Selby is shown handing the star a large wad of cash.

Wendy Williams.

Calvin Gayle

Attorneys for Williams’ guardian allege in court documents that Lifetime “falsely states that [Williams] is ‘broke’ and cruelly implies that her disoriented behavior is the result of substance abuse and drinking.” Court documents also reveal that Williams was paid $400,000 to appear in the film.

Details of Williams’ current financial holdings have not been made public. PEOPLE obtained documents from the New York Department of Finance filed on Feb. 8 that show there is currently a tax lien against the $4.5 million condo Williams owns for $568,451.57, accrued between 2019 and 2021. Morrissey’s attorneys declined comment.

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When it comes to Williams’ son, he talks about the rumors against him in the documentary. Kevin said that his mom has always been a big spender because of her extravagant lifestyle and that while she was in his care in Florida, she signed off on all financial decisions. “I never took it [money] without her consent,” he said in the film.

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

Williams’ sister and niece said that, as far as they knew, was true. “Wendy wasted three people in her life, her son and her parents,” Wanda says of her nephew, as well as her parents, Thomas Williams Sr., 93, and the late Shirley Williams, who became regulars in her daughter’s film audience. Talk show.

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According to Wanda, a retired attorney, “Wendy, Kevin and Kevin [Jr.] had their own lifestyle in New Jersey that was different from any lifestyle the rest of the family had,” she said, adding, “Wendy spent money in ways none of us could have imagined.”

Still, Wanda said the star’s fame hasn’t affected the rest of the family. “There are a lot of people who never even knew Wendy was my sister, because I never talked about it in the 30 years she was in the business. Because all she is to me is Wendy Williams, my sister, not Wendy the girl from the show. As a family we were all very proud of her.”

Kevin Hunter, wife Wendy Williams and son Kevin Hunter Jr pose at a celebration for The.

Bruce Glikas/Getty

Williams’ niece Alex said: “For me growing up, I never really felt my aunt’s wealth. Going from my Finnie household to the Williams household wasn’t like, ‘Oh my God!’ We all come from good backgrounds. My brother and I, our parents took good care of us. Kevin’s parents took good care of him.”

As for Williams’ own penchant for very expensive things, as evidenced in the documentary, “The ostentatiousness has come in over the last few years,” says Alex. “We were talking about Walgreens leggings that we would get for maybe $10. That was my aunt, the person who would say ‘if it’s free, it’s better’.”

Wendy Williams in Chiara Boni’s front row during New York Fashion Week.

Dominik Bindl/Getty

Wanda said it was never about the money, it was about her sister’s well-being. “I don’t think Wendy needed anyone more than her family for her health,” she said. Although Wanda was initially asked if she would consider being her sister’s guardian, she said the offer was never fully extended and the courts cut off communication with her. She says in the documentary that she would take on the role of caretaker, even if it didn’t include managing Williams’ finances.

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“I’m separating Wells Fargo and the money part. I just want to know that my sister will live and be healthy. I’ve been saying that since day one.”

Williams, who thanked fans in a rare statement released after news of her diagnosis last month, is currently being treated for dementia and aphasia at an undisclosed facility where she can contact family from a private number.

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