Where Is Wendy Williams? introduced longtime fans to the firebrand’s family and employees. This included Wendy Williams’ publicist, Shawn Zanotti.
Viewers of the Lifetime docuseries expressed mixed emotions over Wendy’s actions, particularly how she spoke to her publicist and others.
Some held suspicions of the publicist, while others noted that Wendy simply cannot help it due to her dementia diagnosis.
Wendy Williams is unwell
Her own team very recently revealed that Wendy Williams has primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
Primary progressive aphasia means that there is damage to the parts of her brain that process speech and language. Frontotemporal dementia means a series of worsening symptoms, from language to motor control, and a reduced life expectancy.
This grim news came just days before the premiere of Lifetime’s Where Is Wendy Williams? docuseries, which began its deep dive into the TV personality’s troubled life on Saturday, February 24.
To put it bluntly, Wendy’s state of mind is vividly on display during the docuseries. It filmed between August 2022 and April of 2023.
Wendy speaks openly about her fondness for alcohol. The docuseries also delves into her health and history of drug abuse.
Wendy’s mobility is also an issue, as her lymphedema has radically altered her life. Early on, we see that she is preparing to move to a new apartment — one that is a single story, so that she can get around more easily.
The Wendy Williams docuseries is controversial
A lot of fans are expressing concern. There is a fine line between documentation and exploitation, and it doesn’t seem that Wendy fully understands the angle that the docuseries is taking.
Of course, many viewers get the feeling that producers had no idea what they’d be seeing, hearing, and recording before they began this project.
At times, Wendy seems unable to follow conversations — even though other moments show her lucid and humorous. Some of the interview subjects are more willing to discuss her cognitive decline than others.
One of the most polarizing aspects of Where Is Wendy Williams? has been how Wendy treats others during it.
At one moment, she verbally attacks a nail tech, demanding to know “Are you stupid?” She also rants about people who work closely with her.
One of the primary targets of Wendy Williams’ wrath, from what the cameras show, appears to be her publicist: Shawn Zanotti.
Wendy Williams give publicist Shawn Zanotti a hard time
On camera, Wendy calls Shawn a “dumbass” over how she returns a jacket to the closet. She is repeatedly impatient with her.
During one horrifying moment, Wendy blurts out her “wish” that Shawn would undergo liposuction. That would be awful under any circumstances, but is particularly vile as a way to treat an employee.
Wendy became irate when Shawn couldn’t locate the right vape, and seemed to lash out when things weren’t exactly how she wanted them.
This is where viewers are finding themselves with wildly different takeaways.
Some are condemning Wendy’s behavior, even noting that dementia is not an “excuse” for this kind of verbal abuse. Others defend the talk show host, pointing out that she likely has no idea how rude she’s actually being.
Yet others have expressed suspicions as to why Shawn Zanotti is putting up with this. Who is this publicist that she’s keeping this job instead of finding something less abusive? A few social media denizens have even gone so far as to accuse her of “stealing” from Wendy amidst the talk show legend’s diminished net worth.
Who is Shawn Zanotti?
Shawn is the CEO of her own publicity company. She is the author of a PR guide book. And, at times, she ends up just doing things around the house because Wendy wants her to.
And, according to what she told the cameras, she has “thick skin” and can deal with Wendy’s insults, body-shaming, and behavioral issues.
As far as we know, she still works for Wendy to this day.
In her mind, Shawn is likely just a professional who is putting up with this because it’s not Wendy’s fault.
Many people who work in elder care jobs, whether they are nurses or caretakers or even retail workers near a retirement community, know that people with cognitive decline — including dementia — are not trying to be cruel. It’s just that they have physically lost the part of their brain that remembers to be polite, to filter out cruel comments.
A significant portion of Wendy Williams’ fans have watched loved ones battle with dementia or brain damage. And quite a few of them know how much substance abuse can make this worse.
What has happened to Wendy is a tragedy. The hope is that the good from this docuseries will be enough to outweigh the apparent exploitation of a talk show legend.