Dementia-diagnosed Wendy Williams to face deposition for Lifetime documentary lawsuit, according to reports
Wendy Williams, the iconic talk show host, is set to be deposed in her legal battle against A&E Network over the controversial documentary "Where is Wendy Williams?". This development comes amidst her recent confirmation of a second round of cognitive testing, which confirmed her diagnoses of frontotemporal dementia and aphasia.
The deposition, scheduled to take place by November 4, will not exceed three hours. Due to Williams' potential future inability to testify, the deposition will happen in a "de bene esse" format. This means that the deposition is taken for the sake of the record, rather than for its immediate use in the trial.
Williams and her attorneys have expressed their displeasure over the report regarding her health. They have emphatically vowed that she "will get out of guardianship". Despite her health challenges, Williams maintains that she is not cognitively impaired and continues her legal battle to free herself from her guardianship.
The lawsuit was first launched by Williams against A&E Network in February 2024. Morrissey, acting as Williams' legal guardian, filed documents against the company, claiming they shot the documentary without proper clearance and attempted to stop its release. The attorneys suing A&E also alleged that the documentary was no longer airing anywhere due to being "horrific".
Interestingly, A&E later admitted to taking the series down, claiming it was out of respect for the legal proceedings. The Federal Rules of Evidence does not contain any requirement of mental ability, which means Williams' current dementia diagnosis does not insulate her from providing testimony in this case.
It's worth noting that only two attorneys on the case and one of Williams' attorneys in her guardianship case will be present in the room during the deposition. Williams will be allowed to testify remotely.
At the moment, there are no available search results that provide information about the parties involved or cooperating in the court case regarding the Lifetime documentary about Wendy Williams. The testimony, expected to shed light on the case, is set to be a significant step in the ongoing legal battle.
Williams' testimony should not span longer than three days, as stipulated by the court. The outcome of this deposition could potentially influence the course of the legal proceedings and the future of the "Where is Wendy Williams?" documentary.
