Photo Credit:Aeon/GC Images via Getty Images
In a significant update to one of the most closely watched legal battles in the entertainment industry, high-profile attorney Joe Tacopina has announced that Wendy Williams is expected to be released from her court-ordered guardianship by the end of 2025. During an appearance on ABC’s Nightline in early December 2024, Tacopina revealed that guardianship attorneys have provided assurances that the former talk show host will regain her independence within weeks.
The development follows a major shift in Williams’ medical narrative. For over two years, the 61-year-old media icon has been legally confined under the care of a court- appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, following a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia in 2023. However, Tacopina has challenged the validity of that diagnosis, citing a recent evaluation by a top New York- based neurologist who found no’evidence of FTD.
Tacopina argued that while Williams previously struggled with “alcohol-induced dementia” during the height of her health crisis, her sobriety over the last three years has led to “remarkable neurological resilience.” According to the attorney, the initial FTD diagnosis—which is typically progressive and irreversible—should be considered “game, set, match” for the termination of the guardianship if it is proven incorrect. “You and I can go take a walk downstairs right now,” Tacopina told Nightline’s Byron Pitts, “and we’ll find five people in an hour who belong more in a guardianship program than Wendy Williams.”
The legal team Is currently “watching and waiting” for the court to finalize the dissolution of the arrangement. If the presiding judge resists the new medical findings, Tacopina has stated he is prepared to demand a jury trial to secure Williams’ freedom. The guardianship was originally initiated in 2022 after Wells Fargo raised concerns that
Williams was a victim of “undue influence and financial exploitation.” Williams has been vocal about her desire to end the arrangement, famously describing her life in a luxury assisted-living facility as feeling like “prison.” With the new year approaching, Tacopina’s optimistic timeline suggests that Williams may finally be able to move forward with her life and potential return to the public eye.