After 13 seasons of Hot Topics and shoe cams, The Wendy Williams Show is coming to an end. Its distributor, Debmar-Mercury, announced in a statement on Tuesday, February 22, that its time slot on Fox-owned and -operated stations will be taken over by Sherri, a daytime talk show hosted by Sherri Shepherd. Shepherd has been one of many guest hosts filling in for Williams since October 2021 due to Williams’s ongoing health issues. “OMG! I am so excited to have my dream come true and debut my very own talk show Sherri in the fall,†Shepherd said in a statement, according to The Wrap. “I can’t wait until I return to NY to host the show and merge everything I love … pop culture, talk, entertainment and comedy.†Sherri will premiere in fall 2022.
Williams’ spokesperson Howard Bragman released a statement to the press on Williams’ behalf, however, it seems that Williams did not authorize the message. “It’s been a challenging time for Wendy as she deals with her health issues. She is incredibly grateful to Debmar-Mercury, to Sherri and everybody else who has supported the show through this time,†Bragman said to Deadline on behalf of Williams. “She understands why this decision was made from a business point of view, and she has been assured by Debmar-Mercury that should her health get to a point where she can host again and should her desire be that she hosts again that she would be back on TV at that time.â€
Williams responded to Bragman’s statements to the press via Instagram stories. “Mr Bragman although I appreciate your concerns and respect you immensely I have not authorized you to make statements on my behalf regarding my current status with Debmar Mercury. Again thanks for your continuing concern and support,†wrote Williams. Bragman responded to Williams with an Instagram post of his own shortly after. “I’m not honestly convinced of the source of that social media post, so when my old friend Wendy FaceTimes me personally and we alone have a chance to discuss recent events, together we can figure out the best path forward,†said Bragman in his version of a notes app statement.
This post has been updated throughout.Â