Wendy Williams’ bank claims she is a “incapable person” who requires guardianship.
Wells Fargo issued a petition to New York Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth, according to Page Six, asking a hearing to decide if Williams, who has not broadcast her daytime talk show since July 2021 due to persistent health issues, need professional intervention in her affairs.
In the letter acquired by Page Six, attorney David H. Pikus wrote on behalf of the bank, “We are concerned about [Williams’] condition.”
“We are hopeful that the Guardianship Part [of the court] will appoint a temporary guardian or evaluator to assess the matter and guarantee that [Williams’] affairs are being handled properly soon.”
Williams’ lawyer Celeste N. McCaw filed an emergency petition last Friday, alleging that Wells Fargo had denied the TV personality, 57, access to her “accounts, assets, and statements” for “more than two weeks” after her former financial adviser Lori Schiller claimed Williams was “of unsound mind.”
Williams had fired Schiller as her adviser, according to court records obtained by us, due to suspected “malfeasance” concerning her accounts and “improper conduct in regard to their professional relationship.” Williams, though, “continues to depend on Schiller’s advice,” according to the lawyer.
Wells Fargo “has good cause to think” Williams is a “victim of improper influence and financial exploitation,” Pikus wrote in a second letter to the judge on Wednesday. He made a request.
Schiller “recently saw indicators of exploitation, including [Williams’] own voiced apprehensions” about the persons surrounding her, according to Pikus. “Other independent third parties who are familiar with [Williams] share same concerns,” he added.
Williams, on the other hand, “denies that she is the victim of improper influence and financial exploitation,” according to McCaw’s response to Wednesday’s letter.
McCaw has asked for a temporary restraining order to prevent Wells Fargo from “blocking [Williams’] accounts and interfering with her right to access her financial assets and statements.”
“We dispute any allegations of unlawful acts with respect to Ms. Williams’ accounts and are fully engaged in a court process to seek a settlement that is in her best interest,” a Wells Fargo representative said in a statement to Page Six on Thursday. Everything we do revolves around our clients’ financial well-being.”
Williams hasn’t been seen in public in recent months, but “The Wendy Williams Show” is still on the air thanks to guest hosts. Sherri Shepherd will begin hosting the series on a regular basis in September, according to Page Six.
Williams, who has been upfront about her battles with Graves’ disease and addiction, made a rare public appearance in November, telling a photographer in Miami that she had been diagnosed with Graves’ disease.