Wendy Williams' Ex-Husband Files 'Wrongful Termination' Lawsuit Against Show, Seeks $7 Million

"The Wendy Williams Show" might be entering a new era, with a new host and an entirely new name come September. However, it seems the transition won't be so smooth as a new legal issue has plagued the show's production company, Debmar-Mercury.

Per reports, Wendy Williams' ex-husband Kevin Hunter is waging war against Debmar-Mercury.

As you might know, fans of the beloved daytime talk show are saying goodbye to “The Wendy Williams Show” in June, which would officially end after 14 seasons.

The daytime show was quite the rave, given Wendy’s special ability to bring Hollywood’s latest gossip and tea to her audience in the most exciting way.

However, the show began facing challenges when Wendy’s health allegedly deteriorated, forcing her to leave the show.

The famous talk show host made her last appearance on “TWWS” in October 2021 due to apparent health challenges, and as a result, several guest hosts, including comedian Sherri Shepherd, were announced to fill in for her in her absence.

Initially, it was expected that the guest hosts would serve interim pending Wendy’s return, but with her continued absence, the show’s creators decided to replace her.

After months of speculations about her return as host, it was confirmed in February that Shepherd would become the new permanent host of the daytime show.

As The Blast reported, Wendy’s eponymous talk show was officially out the window, and Shepherd is set to take over as the new show host.

The producers informed everyone that the [Wendy Show] was being canceled at the end of June. The in the next breath, they hired everyone to work on the new Sherri Show.

The “Imperfect High” actress finalized her contract with Fox and will be hosting a whole new show named after her, “Sherri,” in the fall.

Debmar-Mercury’s Co-Presidents, Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, described the transition as “bitter-sweet,” declaring their great love for Wendy, who has been with them for over a decade.

However, they expressed confidence in Shepherd’s ability to thrive in her new role and take the new show to great heights.

On the heels of Wendy’s show coming to a wrap, the host’s ex-husband is brewing up some legal trouble.

According to an exclusive report by The Shade Room, Hunter has filed a wrongful termination suit against Debmar-Mercury on Monday, February 28th.

In the court documents obtained by the outlet, Hunter claimed he was terminated from “TWWS” “on the basis of his marital status which is barred by the New York City Human Rights Law.”

He stated that he suffered an immense economic loss after being fired, ranging between $7-$10 million.

Hunter alleged in the lawsuit that Debmar-Mercury terminated him in April 2019 after Wendy filed for divorce, saying his role as Executive Producer ended immediately.

Wendy’s ex-husband claimed that he used his skills to serve her behind the scenes, particularly using his business knowledge to negotiate a salary increase from the initial contract.

As for his contribution to the show, Hunter says he was responsible for creating “the show’s brand and the look and feel." He also takes credit for conceptualizing famous segments of the show such as the iconic “Hot Topics,” “Hot Seat,” and “Shoe Cam.”

The court documents claim that many of these segments would also be a part of Shepherd’s upcoming show, making him obligated to 10% of commission on revenues, as stated in his contract.

Hunter, who served as executive producer for November 2007 to April 2019, is asking for “not less than $7,000,000” from the production company.

He also wants Debmar-Mercury to cover the costs and fees of the proceeding, including legal fees alongside the restoration of lost wages and commissions.

As of this writing, Debmar-Mercury is yet to respond to Hunter’s lawsuit.

Hunter and Wendy were married for 20 years before she filed for divorce in 2019 after he fathered a child with a mistress.

The award-winning show host opened up about Hunter’s infidelity early last year, calling her son’s father a “serial cheater” who was unfaithful throughout their marriage.

While Hunter apologized publicly for his shameful actions, he moved on from his regret and got engaged to his mistress Sharina Hudson in October 2021.

Hunter splurged a whopping $20,000 on Hudson’s engagement, with the news surfacing amid Wendy’s health battles.