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Insiders close to Wendy Williams are now revealing just how bad the star was at the height of her relapse in 2020, just days after she returned to treatment.
Wendy, 58, was reportedly ‘at death’s door’ prior to her hospitalization two years ago for mental health problems and alcoholism, sources said Page six on Friday.
Earlier this week, Williams’ representative announced that the talk show host had checked into a treatment center to get her health under control as she makes a comeback.
Scary times: Insiders close to Wendy Williams are now revealing just how bad the star was at the height of her 2020 relapse just days after she returned to treatment (pictured in August)
“She was really, in my opinion, on the brink of death,” one who witnessed the ordeal revealed, adding that if people in Wendy’s job hadn’t intervened, she probably would have succumbed to her addiction.
According to sources, Wendy’s boyfriend, DJ Boof, once found the daytime TV legend “catatonic” in her Manhattan apartment a few years ago.
But despite her condition, Wendy’s manager refused to call 911 to intervene.
“I don’t think he understood the magnitude of what was going on, and I don’t think he wanted it to be known that she wasn’t okay, and he definitely didn’t want a 911 call like [what] happened a year later,” the source told Page Six.
Struggling: Wendy, 58, was reportedly ‘on the doorstep of death’ prior to her hospitalization two years ago for mental health issues and alcoholism, sources told Page Six on Friday
Another source added that Wendy’s living situation at the time was terrifying: ‘It was quite a mess. It was a mess.’
“She was in her robes, it was soiled, she was catatonic, she was in a very, very bad condition. She looked at the ceiling. She just didn’t respond, but her eyes were open, but she was definitely in a catatonic state,” they said.
The insider added that they found ‘a case of alcohol, open wine bottles and Ketel One’ and cleaned up the drink.
Worried that Wendy wouldn’t make it, the group enlisted her estranged ex-husband and their adult son to help.
‘She is dying. She literally couldn’t get up,” the source told Page Six. “She was just laying on the covers, and she needed 911 help, and… [Young’s] like, “We’re not getting 911.”
In response to the harrowing story of Wendy’s “catatonic” state in 2020, her publicist Shawn Zanotti released the following statement to DailyMail.com:
“The statement we gave to Page Six said exactly what the current focus is. It’s no secret that Ms Williams has had substance abuse issues in her past that she’s been very open about, but right now she’s taking steps to address it.” doing whatever it takes to heal her overall health to prepare for this next journey in her life.
“She was in her robes, it was soiled, she was catatonic, she was in a very, very bad condition. She looked at the ceiling. She just didn’t respond, but her eyes were open, but she was definitely in a catatonic state,” they said. (Seen in August)
“Stories that crop up that want to dwell on past stints of alcohol and drug use are trivial for what she’s currently dealing with. Wendy focuses on her whole self – The Wendy Williams Experience’
Earlier this week, it was reported that Williams has returned to rehab to “take some time to focus on her health and well-being.”
A source told Page six that the 58-year-old’s substance problems have “exacerbated,” such as “she went from” [drinking] wine to pure vodka.’
It was not clear where the TV personality sought help, as she has received treatment in locations in New York and Florida in the past.
Response from her publicist: “Stories popping up that want to dwell on past alcohol and drug use stints are trivial for what she’s currently dealing with. Wendy focuses on her whole self – The Wendy Williams Experience’
Williams’ publicist Shawn Zanotti confirmed: “Wendy has entered a wellness center seeking help to manage her general health problems.
She is taking some time to focus on her health and wellness as she prepares to make a big comeback for the next level in her career with ‘The Wendy Experience Podcast’.
“Mrs Williams is treated by a team of some of the best doctors in the world. We ask for your prayers and get well wishes during this time.”
Williams has struggled to control her drinking at the expense of her overall health, which one source described as “failing,” sources told The US Sun, adding: “She can’t stop drinking and she has to stop drinking; it only makes her health worse.’
Sources told Page Six that for her one-off series, Debmar-Mercury, the production company “refused” to help in the effort to get Williams help amid her troubles. The source said, “They turned their backs on her” and “had too much control over someone so vulnerable.”
Williams has also been at the center of other controversies, as she legally fought against financial institution Wells Fargo after being banned from bank accounts she held.
Williams’ former attorney LaShawn Thomas said: Page six last month the TV personality was abandoned by her ex-financial adviser, Lori Schiller, who did not respond to the allegations.
Williams has had issues with substance abuse in the past, as she was able to achieve extended sobriety until around late 2018/early 2019, when she took a two-month break from filming to enter a shelter.
She said on her March 2019 show, “Only Kevin knows about this. Not my parents, nobody. Nobody knew because I look so glamorous here. After I’m done with my appointments…I’m taken back by my 24 hour sober coach to a house where I live in the [Tri-state area] with a bunch of stinky boys who have become my family.’
More drama: Williams has also been at the center of other controversies as she legally fought financial institution Wells Fargo after being banned from bank accounts she held