Wendy Williams
WBLS, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Joe Tacopina, legal counsel for Wendy Williams, has publicly condemned her court-appointed guardianship as akin to a 'sentence', alleging that guardian Sabrina Morrissey is isolating the former broadcaster. The intervention highlights the escalating legal battle over Williams' autonomy following her 2022 financial disenfranchisement and disputed medical diagnosis.

Wendy Williams' Attorney Says She's 'Not Being Protected' With Her Guardianship

Joe Tacopina, the former TV host's lawyer, shared an update regarding the guardianship amid reports that Morrissey has dismissed Williams' security detail. Although Tacopina did not address the issue, he critiqued the restrictive nature of the controversial legal arrangement.

'Wendy is not being protected,' the lawyer said, per PageSix. 'She's being punished.'

According to Tacopina, the system should have 'safeguarded' the celebrity, but the guardianship has 'limited her voice, her choices, and her dignity'.

'No guardianship should ever feel like a sentence,' the legal counsel concluded.

What Happened To Wendy Williams' Bodyguard

Williams was scheduled to meet her associates on Wednesday, 19 November, to celebrate her health update; sources claim Dr Samuel Gandy had cleared the Wendy Williams Show host of having frontotemporal dementia aphasia. However, she was prevented from attending the event.

'She couldn't get in touch with her bodyguard. She thinks Sabrina may have dismissed him,' a source told Page Six.

Williams is reportedly prohibited from leaving her home without security personnel or the supervision of her niece, Alex Finnie. The restrictions dictate that the broadcaster cannot travel without Morrissey's approval and a bodyguard present.

Due to the absence of security, Williams could not attend the gathering. An unnamed insider claimed Williams suspected Morrissey fired the bodyguard, noting a pattern of similar behaviour.

Even if Williams funds the security detail herself, her guardian allegedly retains decision-making power because 'she doesn't want her [Williams] to go out,' the source claimed.

Cancelled Reunion

Williams' outing with comedian Luenell and her former producer, Suzanne Bass, was reportedly planned two weeks prior. They were scheduled to celebrate at Max Tucci's TUCCI restaurant in New York's Noho neighbourhood. Following the cancellation, the group settled for a phone call.

'I was going to kiss you, hold your hand, all the s–t you don't like,' Luenell reportedly told Williams during the call. 'I'm praying for you queen.'

The source described the interaction as a 'sweet reunion,' noting that an in-person meeting would have been preferable.

Further, the insider alleged that Morrissey was displeased about Williams' trip to Connecticut for the wedding of Tacopina's son. Reports suggest that it 'pissed' her guardian, whom Williams' inner circle refer to as 'Sabrina b***h.'

Wendy's Guardianship Has Always Been Confidential

The guardianship began in 2022 when Wells Fargo froze Williams' account and initiated proceedings, claiming that she was a 'victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.' Williams strongly denied the allegation, with her lawyer insisting that she was 'of sound mind.'

Morrissey, a New York-based lawyer specialising in trusts and estates, was appointed as Williams' temporary guardian in May 2022. In this capacity, Morrissey holds authority over her finances and healthcare, overseeing bank accounts, liabilities, and medical treatment.