Wendy Williams Diagnosed With Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia

Former talk show host Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), her care team announced in February 2024. Williams was 59 at the time of the announcement.

What her care team said

In a statement released on February 22, 2024, Williams’ care team said she had been diagnosed in 2023 after undergoing a battery of medical tests. They said they were sharing the news to correct rumors about her health and to raise awareness of the conditions. The announcement came days before the release of the Lifetime documentary Where Is Wendy Williams?

Related: Bruce Willis and Aphasia: Understanding the Impact | Unravelled Aphasia on Stage – A Journalist’s Unexpected Journey of Empathy

What are aphasia and frontotemporal dementia?

Aphasia is a condition that affects a person’s ability to speak, understand, read or write. Primary progressive aphasia is a form that develops gradually as brain tissue involved in language deteriorates.

Frontotemporal dementia is a group of disorders caused by damage to the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes. It can affect behavior, personality, language and movement, and it often strikes people younger than other forms of dementia. FTD is different from Alzheimer’s disease. Actor Bruce Willis, whose family announced his own FTD diagnosis in 2023, has helped bring wider attention to the condition.

Why it matters

Williams spent more than a decade as host of The Wendy Williams Show, which ended in 2022. Her diagnosis has drawn support from fans and renewed attention to how families and caregivers manage dementia, and to questions about her guardianship.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Williams had Alzheimer’s disease and included a quote that could not be verified. Both have been removed.

Source: NPR: Wendy Williams is diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. Background: Wikipedia: Wendy Williams