There are several times during the new Wendy Williams documentary when the former “The Wendy Williams Show” host shows her bare feet, affected by lymphedema.
From her famed purple hosting chair, moved to the living room in her New York City apartment, Williams addresses the cameras for “Where Is Wendy Williams?” a two-night event that aired on Lifetime Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, 2024. She begins first by discussing her career and the state of her financial guardianship, but the conversation quickly turns to Williams’ health before the camera pans down to her feet, which are both swollen.
“This is lymphedema,” Williams says in the documentary. “And I can only feel now 2% (of my feet). Do you see what this looks like?”
Williams revealed in 2019 on her talk show that she’d been diagnosed with the condition. In a TMZ Live interview three years later, the star held up her feet to the camera.
There’s been much speculation about Williams’ wellbeing since her show wrapped its 13th season two years ago. The star has discussed her Graves’ disease, she’s been open about her history with substance use, and on Feb. 22, 2024, Williams’ team confirmed she was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a type of frontotemporal dementia.
Throughout the documentary, Williams’ health is front and center, and her struggle with lymphedema is among the ailments the star addresses early on.
What is lymphedema?
Lymphedema occurs when lymph fluid builds up in various parts of the body due to a problem with the lymphatic system, which normally drains the fluid. Symptoms range from swelling, a heavy feeling in affected limbs, reduced range of motion, recurring infections and a hardening of the skin called fibrosis, per the Mayo Clinic.
There are two main types of lymphedema, Erin Pinto, a nurse practitioner with the Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders at Children’s Hospital of…
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