After being off our screens for over two months, this week Wendy Williams returned to her hit daytime show, and from the moment she stepped on stage it was clear she was ready to take back her throne.
On Monday, the 54-year-old gossip queen appeared in good spirits as she received a rousing standing ovation from her studio audience, dressed in a $2,200 Valentino dress, and sporting a sleek new bob.
If you were on your grind through the day and missed the broadcast, no worries! Below is a list of the top three things we learned from Williams’ triumphant return.
She has a clean bill of health
“I’m doing better now. Let’s get started, because apparently, I’m a Hot Topic.”
Williams wasted no time giving concerned fans an update on her battle against Graves’ disease, which despite what the gossip blogs have alleged, has always been cited as the official reason for her hiatus.
READ MORE: CNN’s Don Lemon fills in for an injured Wendy Williams
“We were supposed to only be off for two weeks for Christmas vacation … I started to feel thyroid issues. They’re still adjusting my meds,” she said. “I’m the kind of patient, if I cough, I’m thinking, I’m dying … I can’t even tell you how many doctors I have. They pushed me in there, I get the MRIs and then I get the catscans. … You know, I’m 54, and not for nothing even though you feel 25, honey you know. …
“I have a plethora of doctors,” she added. “And I’m happy to tell you that I am doing swell. And then you know it’s not a big thing for (husband and son) Kevin and Kevin to come with me for doctor’s appointments. … So we were spending time as a family, the Hunters … and I just wanted to take some time for myself … you know I am my own best friend.”
https://twitter.com/WendyWilliams/status/1102618457529597952
She’s still happily married
For over a year headlines have alleged that the daytime host’s husband and business partner Kevin Hunter has been abusive towards her and her staff while also having a longterm affair with a younger women.
These rumors led many to speculate that the fallout from Hunter’s destructive behavior was the true cause for Williams’ absence. But not only did she dispute those claims she also shared that both her husband and her son were by her side while she healed.
READ MORE: Wendy Williams reportedly planning to move to NYC to focus on health and shorten commute
“I want to shout-out to my husband. I’m still wearing my ring,” she said as the audience applauded. “Believe me you, when you’ve been with somebody for 28 years, married for 25 years … we know each other. He’s my best friend, he’s my lover. … I know what you’ve been seeing .. but hunty, let me show you who I fell in love with and who he fell in love with.”
Williams then showed a picture from 20 years ago showing the couple during less glamorous days, before her talk show or any of her plastic surgery.
“I’m still very much in love with my husband and anyone who’s been married … you know.”
“Marriages have ebbs and flows, marriage isn’t easy. And don’t ask me about mine until you see this gone,” she continued, pointing to her wedding ring. “And it ain’t going anywhere, not in this lifetime.”
She thinks Jussie is guilty, but Micheal Jackson is innocent
Part of what makes the Wendy Williams Show destination viewing for so many of her loyal fans is her penchant for sharing unapologetic opinions about current events, which she refers to as, “Hot Topics.”
During Monday’s live taping she didn’t disappoint, covering everything from the alleged Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax to the controversial new Leaving Neverland documentary about child sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson.
READ MORE: Michael Jackson Fans are Divided: 5 Big takeaways from ‘Leaving Neverland’ Part 1
“I think Jussie is guilty,” Williams stated bluntly to her studio audience.
She said Smollett was a sweet person who she enjoyed having on as a guest but admitted she was suspicious of his story from day one and never wavered. She also believes the attack was staged as a publicity stunt because the actor was not only seeking more money, but also attempting to come out of the shadow of his more successful sister, Jurnee Smollett-Bell.
#WendyWilliams is just in denial of everything….her life…Michael Jackson's. So done
— Gaia (@Gaiacentric) March 4, 2019
While Jussie may have been proven guilty until innocent in the host’s eyes, Jackson very decidedly got a pass from such scrutiny.
When guest correspondent Chris Witherspoon came on the show to discuss HBO’s explosive new documentary about the pop icon, Williams refused to take it seriously. Instead she repeated the familiar explanation that Jackson, “didn’t have a childhood,” and that a lot of the behaviors people called inappropriate were just his eccentric attempts to reclaim his lost innocence.
The mother of one also slammed the filmmakers and accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck for for enacting what she calls, “a money grab.”