Sherri Shepherd undergoes emergency surgery; cancels ‘Wendy Williams’ guest hosting gig
Shepherd had emergency surgery for appendicitis on Sunday and was replaced by actor Michael Rapaport on Williams' Monday show.
Wendy Williams isn’t the only The Wendy Williams Show host taking a health-related leave of absence this month.
Guest host Sherri Shepherd was scheduled to fill in for Williams on her show on Monday, but instead viewers tuned in to see actor Michael Rapaport leading the broadcast. Rapaport explained during the show’s Hot Topics segment that Shepherd had emergency surgery for appendicitis on Sunday.
“She’s feeling fine today and she is resting,” Rapaport said of Shepherd. “Get well soon, Sherri. Everybody loves you.”
Shepherd herself confirmed the news on Twitter late Monday morning.
Shepherd was scheduled to talk with WWE star Trinity McCray, aka Naomi, on the latest episode of Wendy on Monday.
“If you watched the @WendyWilliams show today, you saw the news about my emergency surgery,” Shepherd tweeted. “Thanks to @MichaelRapaport for stepping in for me at the last minute! And while I’m mad I didn’t meet @NaomiWWE in person yet, Jeffrey did! I’ll share more later…”
Shepherd’s publicist also told Deadline that the comedian and former co-host of The View had a successful surgery.
“She is absolutely devastated that she will not be able to guest host The Wendy Williams Show today, but she is following doctors’ orders and expected to make a full recovery,” Shepherd’s publicist told Deadline.
Shepherd’s hiatus is just the latest snafu for Wendy Williams Show producers who have been scrambling for months to find guest hosts to fill in for Williams since she was diagnosed with COVID-19 in September. The 57-year-old gossip queen also suffers from Graves Disease, a diagnosis she received about four years ago.
Williams said she was “doing fabulous” earlier this month when the paparazzi caught her leaving a wellness center in Miami. In early November, she told her Instagram followers she’s making progress with her health concerns while acknowledging her recovery is “taking longer than we expected.”
“I’m a woman of a certain age, and I know enough to listen to my doctors and will return to my purple chair as soon as we all agree I’m ready,” Williams wrote on Instagram. “I want to thank all of my staff and our guest hosts for stepping up and stepping in while I can’t be there.”
Last week, Wendy Williams Show producer David Perler dispelled rumors that the show was being canceled, telling Deadline that the Williams Show will continue with new episodes next year.
“We’re looking forward to producing new and exciting shows in 2022 and we can’t wait to return in the new year with all of our guest hosts,” Perler told Deadline.
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