Wendy Williams’ Friend Just Gave An Update On Her Health Battle: ‘She Was Going To Die’

Wendy Williams‘ health conditions might have been more serious and life-threatening than previously thought. According to an anonymous insider who claims to be a friend of the former talk show host— and who reportedly spoke with Page Six— Williams was “at death’s door” in May of 2020, when her friend  DJ Boof discovered a “catatonic” Williams at her New York City apartment. This, the source allegedly told the outlet, was where the television personality’s former manager Bernie Young supposedly refused to call 9-1-1 out of fear that her condition would become known to the public.

Multiple sources reportedly revealed to the publication that Williams was hospitalized for two blood transfusions at the time due to her worsening addiction to alcohol. “I don’t think he understood the extent of what was going on, and I don’t think he wanted it to get out that she was not well, and he definitely didn’t want a 911 call like [what] happened a year later,” Williams’ ‘longtime friend and eyewitness to the incident’ allegedly said to Page Six. 

They continued, describing what Williams’ living situation looked like. “It was pretty much a mess. It was a mess,” the source reportedly added. “She was in her robe, it was soiled, she was catatonic, she was in a very, very bad state. She was looking at the ceiling. She was just not responsive, but her eyes were open, but she was definitely in a catatonic state.”

The source also supposedly said that they discovered “a case of alcohol, open wine bottles,” and Ketel One. “We started clearing out a lot of liquor,” the eyewitness shared. In addition, they claimed that they and Boof insisted that Young call paramedics or Williams’ former sober team, which was headed by Ron Clinton, to get help. In the meantime, they allegedly noted that they and Boof fed the Williams ice chips to keep her hydrated.

The source allegedly recalled, “She’s going to die. She literally couldn’t stand up. She was just lying on top of the covers, and she needed 911 help, and [Young’s] like, ‘We’re not getting 911.'” Eventually, the source said that Williams’ ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, and the former couple’s son, Kevin Hunter Jr., called her and begged her to seek help. “Kevin and Kevin Jr. were both saying, ‘Please, come on, Mom. Let [Ron and his team] come up, get some help,'” the insider added.

Kevin Sr. later confirmed to Page Six all of the aforementioned events that involved him and his son. The source also reportedly told the publication that Boof drove Williams in his car to the hospital, and she received two blood transfusions because she was “so low on iron,” which multiple sources apparently confirmed. Williams then remained under medical observation for about 4 or 5 days and had “no recollection” of everything that happened.”Boof was the savior of her f–king life,” a second source reportedly said, adding that he returned to her apartment after dropping her off to dump the alcohol. “She was really, in my opinion, at death’s door,” the initial eyewitness said later. “If we were not there that day, she would not be here. She would not have made it. If it weren’t for Kevin and Ron Clinton and his team, she wouldn’t have made it.”

Williams’ publicist, Shawn Zanotti, spoke to Page Six, explaining that Williams is centering her energy towards the future, rather than the past. “The focus is not on anything from her past. The only focus we have at this time is for Wendy to continue to strive at getting better and moving forward,” he said. Zanotti added, “Right now she is healing and working on the second part to her documentary and her podcast, she has several things that are demanding her attention right now and past gossip is not one of them.”

Last week, Page Six confirmed that Williams checked back into a rehab facility to treat her addiction issues, with another source saying, “It’s gotten worse. She went from wine to straight-up vodka.” Williams’ manager, Will Selby, said to Page Six soon after, however, that she is “sounding better and better every day.” He continued, “Her vitality and motivation is at an all-time high considering what she is going through. All she talks about is her upcoming projects with ‘The Wendy Williams Experience’ and her new documentary slated to come in 2023.”

Last month, Williams sparked concern and worry from fans after stepping out in New York City, with some Twitter users dubbing her “looking much thinner” and “out of it,” as another wrote. She appeared “disoriented,” as The Daily Mail wrote, while she was photographed by paparazzi leaving a building and heading to a car waiting for her. At the time, Williams donned denim short-shorts and a black graphic tee while out and about, and carried a dark green snakeskin Gucci purse. She wore her long, caramel-colored tresses down, parted in the middle and styled straight while accessorizing with bangle bracelets.

In video footage that emerged online soon after, Williams appeared to exit a building and turn around, looking unsure if the parked car there was the right one. In one clip, Williams tells nearby photographers, “I look 30,” while walking to her car, suddenly pausing, turning around, and then stepping away from the vehicle. This behavior, fans online wrote, seemed “upsetting” as many “hope she is doing okay.”

Williams has long been open about her health issues, including lymphedema, which she revealed in a June 2022 podcast interview with TMZ led her to take time off from her talk show in September 2021. Last year, the broadcaster also caught COVID-19, and she also suffers from a thyroid condition and Grave’s Disease. A statement from The Wendy Williams Show team then read: “Wendy continues to be under medical supervision and meets with her medical team on a daily basis. She is making progress but is experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves’ Disease and her thyroid condition.”