Wendy Williams' Guardian Sabrina Morrissey Faces Lawsuit Over Documentary Release
The guardian of Wendy Williams has been accused of isolating the television legend and failing to look after her. The accusations were made in a new lawsuit from producers of her recent documentary "Where is Wendy Williams?"
According to The Sun, the complaint from Lifetime and A&E, as well as Creature Films and Entertainment One, alleges that guardian Sabrina Morrissey attempted to block the documentary from airing in an attempt to stifle criticism of how she has managed the affairs of Williams.
The documentary, which debuted in February, was intended to be a raw documentary about Williams' life since being placed under guardianship.
Morrissey has "inhibited and interfered" the production companies' free speech rights by trying to prevent the documentary from being released, lawyers for the production companies said.
The suit has also alleged that the conservatorship has kept Williams away from her family and has caused her mental deterioration and self-destructive behaviors.
According to the lawsuit, "Thus, it appears that Morrissey is misusing her position as guardian to silence criticism of her controversial and failed administration of Wendy's guardianship."
Morrissey previously sued the producers days before the documentary premiered but delayed serving a copy of the complaint on them for weeks.
The motion led Entertainment One to countersue Morrissey, saying that Morrissey was seeking to divert attention from her own alleged misconduct in caring for Williams.
The counterclaims also alleged that Morrissey tried to prevent the documentary from being released because she was worried about the contents and how it would reflect on her handling of Williams' life.
Prior to this, Williams herself claimed she only made $82,000 from the documentary, but Entertainment One rebutted, saying that she was compensated around $400,000 through The Wendy Experience, Inc.
The lawsuits come amidst ongoing worries about Williams' well-being. The ex-talk show host has had to overcome a lot, particularly her 2019 diagnosis of alcohol-related brain damage, which was followed by her 2023 diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and aphasia.
Family members claimed they had given the documentary their blessing before its release.
But an appellate judge quickly blocked Morrissey's attempts to shut the documentary down, saying that doing so would stretch First Amendment rights too far.
Both sides are now fighting to have their legal costs paid as well as further damages as the lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
