Source: Michael Tran / FilmMagic
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, on Sept. 16, Morrissey filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against A&E Television Networks, executive producer Mark Ford, and several other parties involved in the docu-series. The suit alleges that they portrayed Williams in a “highly demeaning and embarrassing” manner, despite having led the former talk show host to believe she would be depicted in a “positive” light.
“As is patently obvious from the very first few minutes of the Program itself, W.W.H. was highly vulnerable and clearly incapable of consenting to being filmed, much less humiliated and exploited,” Morrissey penned in the 75-page complaint, according to People.
“When the Guardian discovered that Defendants’ true intentions were to portray W.W.H. in a highly demeaning and embarrassing manner, she immediately sought to protect and to preserve her dignity. But the defendants fought to move ahead… without a valid contract and released without the Guardian’s consent,” Morrissey noted.
The new lawsuit contends that Williams’ signature allegedly signed on Jan. 25, 2023, was forged, and that there is no evidence she actually signed the contract because she was incapacitated and unable to consent at the time. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Guardian Morrissey was not involved in the production or the contract for the TV project and only saw a copy months after it was supposedly signed.
According to the lawsuit, Willams received “a paltry” amount for her participation.
Notably, following the release of Where Is Wendy Williams? on Feb. 24 and Feb.25, Morrissey claimed that A&E Television Networks and its affiliates “made millions” from the docu-series, while Williams allegedly received a mere $82,000 for her involvement.
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In 2023, Wendy Williams was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Aphasia disrupts language and communication abilities, often following brain injuries or strokes, while FTD significantly alters behavior, cognitive function, and personality.
The lawsuit asserts that executive producer Mark Ford and his team were aware of Williams’ significant cognitive and physical impairments but opted to film her regardless. Morrissey also alleges that Ford and his crew turned Williams into a “laughingstock” and harmed her reputation by broadcasting unflattering images during her health struggles.
“This case arises from the brutally calculated, deliberate actions of powerful and cravenly opportunistic media companies working together with a producer to knowingly exploit W.W.H., an acclaimed African-American entertainer who, tragically, suffers from dementia and, as a result, has become cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated,” she added inside the complaint. “Eager to sensationalize and profit from W.W.H.’s cognitive and physical decline, Defendants took advantage of W.W.H in the cruelest, most obscene way possible for their own financial gain, in a manner that truly shocks the conscience.”
Morrissey wants all profits from the docu-series be directed toward covering Williams’ substantial healthcare expenses. Additionally, the complaint requests the court to prohibit A&E from any further broadcasts, sales, or releases of the documentary.
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