Wendy Williams' Dementia Diagnosis Not Keeping Her From Deposition, Judge Rules

Wendy Williams is gradually finding her way back to society, and she already has a deposition to deal with.

The current standing of a judge is that her medical condition will not be a barrier to her giving testimony in a deposition involving her legal guardian and the A&E Television Networks, which is related to the 2024 Lifetime documentary featuring the former BET personality.

Wendy Williams' deposition is now slated for the first week of November, as her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, awaits a decision from the judge to see if she will remain Wendy Williams' legal guardian or if the former media personality requires a guardian.

A judge issued the new order on September 15 to extend the legal proceedings' stay against the network to give room for a separate review of Williams' guardianship status case. The judge instructed the court to provide a detailed report of the status of the case by November 5.

The network also approved the network to depose Williams on November 4 as a "de bene esse" deposition, which reportedly occurs in anticipation of a future need.

This form of deposition is often employed when it is forecasted that a witness's ability to testify might be compromised due to a decline in age, health, or even fading memory.

In light of this, the ruling reportedly referenced Williams' 2023 diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. These conditions have reportedly played symbolic roles in ensuring her continued stay under guardianship despite claims that she is mentally sufficient.

The judge emphasized that Williams' condition does not pose a problem to her standing regarding giving testimony. Per PEOPLE, the judge noted that the Federal Rule of Evidence does not contain any "requirement of mental ability" for witnesses.

The presiding judge added that the jury will decide how much Williams will play in giving her deposition testimony. However, the judge did not sign off on Williams speaking in court without setting legal parameters that could be followed by everyone involved.

The process must not exceed three hours, and Williams can decide to testify remotely. Two attorneys are only allowed to be in the room, and one of Williams' attorneys is in her guardianship case.

The date and time of the deposition will be set according to Williams' comfort and preference, which must be in line with the demands of her medical condition. The whole deposition process, including sufficient breaks, must not exceed three days.

Morrissey's lawsuit against A&E last year sought to stop the release of the documentary "Where is Wendy Williams." The media personality's legal guardian argued that the former talk show host did not possess the mental capacity to agree to participate in the docuseries in the first place.

In February, The Blast shared that the former disc jockey removed herself from the legal debacle between Morrissey, Lifetime, and A&E Networks. 

She made it known during an interview with "The Breakfast Club," where she told the host about her current challenges and how she felt about the lawsuit.

She informed fans and hosts of the show that she only watched the docuseries once, with her guardian present, and she found the contents very "disgusting," which she would not attempt again.

Williams added that her guardian, alongside her manager, Will Selby, negotiated a deal on her behalf, without her knowledge or authorization, a process she would very much like to stay out of.

"The lawsuit is with Lifetime and A&E. I've been told I stand to win $20 million," Williams noted, as she declared that she did not want any part of the "blood money."

When Morrissey filed to block the documentary's release, she claimed that the A&E network and Lifetime took complete advantage of the former television personality. 

As reported by The Blast, Morrissey emphasized that Williams was portrayed in a demeaning and undignifying manner, far from the reality of what was on the ground. She noted that the mother-of-one was also not in the right frame of mind to have consented to any project when the contract was brought to her.

She insisted that the network did not follow due process in getting her or Williams' team to sign off on the production of that documentary.

The only reason she signed off on the project was that the network promised that they would have a say in reviewing the final copy alongside the court, but that day for review never came.

Morrissey noted that she was beyond tortured to have seen her client being portrayed negatively after the network went ahead with the release without consulting them to watch the final product.

The former TV host puts her worries aside for a minute and focuses on the next step concerning her emergence back into society and the spaces she once knew. New York Fashion Week is reportedly providing the right platform for Williams to find her spark again.

She grabbed a seat at the Bach Mai beach show on Sunday and was present with her friend and restaurateur, Max Tucci, for designer Dennis Basso's preview on Monday. Her niece, Alex Finnie, who once got into trouble for leaving her assisted care facility, accompanied her to the Monday event. 

Williams also got another invitation from designer LaQuan Smith for his fashion show on Tuesday. The talk show queen was billed to have a massive makeover and also show up wearing one of Smith's looks.