TV’s Wendy Williams had an emotional moment at the beginning of her show on Thursday, taking some time to discuss the fatal shooting at a California bar that left 13 people dead.
“So we all woke up this morning with the horrible news,” Williams told her audience after setting in her chair on her stage.
She went on to offer details about the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Wednesday night when the bar was packed.
“They were hosting their college country music night, 18 and above,” Williams said, staring at the audience, eyes glistening.
Williams paused.
“How old’s your kid? Mine’s 18,” she said, appearing to fight back tears as she referred to her son, Kevin Hunter Jr.
“I feel a ways,” Williams said. “I always feel a ways but I feel particularly a ways. Thirteen people were killed including the gunman and one sheriff.”
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Williams added, “No comment,” with a wave of her hand as she reached for a Q-tip on her side table and dabbed it at the corner of her eyes – her signature move to stop her makeup from running when she gets misty-eyed on air.
“I’m not crying – I’m misty,” she said in an apparent attempt to add some humor to a painful moment.
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The audience wasn’t having it though and they remained sober-faced.
“You catch the mist with a Q-tip,” she said, dabbing at her eyes.
“And now, how do we go on to the rest of Hot Topics?” Williams asked her audience about her segment on celebrity gossip and shade.
Williams attempted to continue with a piece on Missy Elliott, saying that she loves the rapper because they both are fighting thyroid disease and zodiac signs. But her attempt at continuing did not work and she continued to dab at her eyes with Q-tips.
“Damn, you got that shot – good, camera person,” Williams said. “Alls I’m saying is, ‘When will it stop?’ And I think that it’s more mental illness than anything. I don’t believe terrorism. They still have to investigate. But the mental illness has got people on the loose and being ignored.”
The shooter, who is dead, was identified as Ian Long, a 28-year-old former Marine.
