A&E Networks says that Wendy Williams’ guardian tried to stop the airing of the Lifetime docuseries “Where Is Wendy Williams?” after the trailer was released in February, according to a legal filing unsealed this week.
Sabrina Morrissey, who has been Williams’ appointed guardian since 2022, filed a petition against A&E to halt the airing of the series just two days before its Feb. 24 premiere because she believed it would portray her and her supervision of Williams poorly. The New York Supreme Court unsealed the motion to reverse the restraining order on Friday.
A&E attorney Rachel Strom claimed that Morrissey only took action after seeing the trailer for the documentary and realizing that her role in Williams’ life might be criticized. Strom added that using the courts to silence criticism was unconstitutional.
The network argued that the restraining order violated their constitutional rights, stating that the guardian knew about the documentary’s filming and had concerns only after seeing the trailer on Feb. 2. Williams was compensated significantly for her participation in the series.
A&E’s legal team stated that Morrissey had been aware of the documentary's existence since at least February 2023, and of the talent agreement since at least April 2023. Despite this, she waited almost a year before taking action. They argued that she had plenty of time to address her concerns before resorting to legal action but did not do so.
The two-part documentary marked Williams’ first public appearance following her departure from “The Wendy Williams Show.” Throughout its duration, viewers were taken through Williams’ career as a media personality, as well as her struggles with mental illness and physical health. Before the docuseries debuted on Feb. 22, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and dementia.
Morrissey became Williams’ financial guardian in May 2022 after Wells Fargo claimed that Williams was incapacitated and a victim of financial exploitation.
Concerns about Williams’ health arose in 2020 when she took a break from her talk show due to fatigue caused by Graves’ disease. Her show ended in 2022 due to ongoing health issues. The Lifetime documentary focuses on what happened to Williams after her talk show ended.