Wendy Williams Says Alcohol Abuse Has Caused Rift in Relationship With Son

Lifetime’s four-part documentary sees Williams’ family, friends, and care team deal with the mental and physical tolls of her condition, including her alcohol dependence.

In the first episode, Williams opened up about her relationship with alcohol, stating: “I love vodka.”

She, however, added that her sister Wanda “hates that I love alcohol” and her 23-year-old son, Kevin Hunter Jr. “hates liquor.”

In a to-camera interview in the second episode, Williams was asked by a producer if there are any relationships she wants to repair, which led her to admit that her alcohol consumption has driven a wedge between her and her loved ones.

Williams tearfully answered: “My son.”

When asked what stopped her from repairing that relationship, she responded: “Nothing. Except for he hates liquor.”

Despite Williams’ recognition that her dependence on alcohol was affecting her relationship with her only son, at another point, she defiantly defended her choices:

“I will smoke when I smoke, and I will liquor when I liquor,” Williams angrily told her publicist Shawn Zanotti during a filmed meeting.

Elsewhere in the episodes, Williams’ manager, Will Selby, is seen trying to curb the former radio host’s drinking by searching her apartment for hidden spirit bottles and changing her drink order in a restaurant to a mocktail.

“Kevin does not want his mother utilizing any substances,” he told the camera of his attempts to stop Williams drinking. “He has a no alcohol policy. He’s always stressed that to me. He doesn’t want her drinking a drop of liquor.”

In May 2022, a New York judge appointed an independent guardian to manage Williams’ finances. The decision was made after the TV star’s bank, Wells Fargo, froze her accounts, claiming that she was an “incapacitated person,” according to court filings.