Recent developments at The Coterie, an assisted living facility in New York, have captured public attention due to a serious incident involving former talk show host Wendy Williams. A police report has been filed by the facility, alleging that Williams was “kidnapped”by her niece, Alex Finnie, who reportedly did not follow proper protocol when taking her aunt out for dinner on March 12, 2025.
According to reports from The Mirror, Finnie and Williams dined at Max Tucci’s restaurant, where they were seen together. The facility contends that Finnie’s actions violated established procedures, prompting them to contact law enforcement. Wendy Williams responded to the allegations, describing the situation as “unbelievable”when speaking to TMZ.
Wendy Williams has been under the care of The Coterie since 2024 after being diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. However, in February 2025, a TMZ report indicated that Williams believes she was misdiagnosed and is actively seeking to dissolve her court-appointed guardianship.
Recent Psychological Evaluation Brings Hope
In an encouraging update, Wendy Williams recently scored a perfect 10 out of 10 on her psychological evaluation at a New York hospital. This assessment was conducted after the talk show host publicly appealed for help, leading to a wellness check on March 12 when she displayed a sign that read “Help! Wendy!”to passing paparazzi.
After the evaluation, Williams was described as “alert and oriented.”She has expressed a desire to end her conservatorship, bringing attention to her uncomfortable living conditions, which she compared to being in a prison. During a call to The Breakfast Club in January 2025, she stated:
“I am not cognitively impaired, you know what I’m saying? But I feel like I’m in prison. I’m in this place where the people are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s … There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor.”
During a February 2024 segment on The View, Alex Finnie discussed her aunt’s situation, highlighting the limited communication the family has with Wendy. Finnie claimed that the family was not adequately consulted regarding her aunt’s guardianship situation. She noted that during their last lengthy conversation, Williams sounded hopeful and enthusiastic about her future.
“She sounds really good. I haven’t seen her, but we were able to have a full conversation. She’s excited about her future, she talks about the possibility of getting back to work, but like I always remind her first and foremost is your health,”Finnie stated.
“If you’re healthy and you’re happy you can do whatever you want to do in terms of your career, but like I always say to her, if you just want to sit in a lawn chair and just bask in the sun for the rest of your days you can do that, because you’ve earned that.”
In light of these issues, Wendy Williams’ guardianship is now under scrutiny for potential “elder abuse.”Recent reports indicate that Adult Protective Services has initiated an investigation into the matter after allegations that Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, mishandled funds during a trip to visit her father in Florida. Sources suggest that Williams was given a card for expenses that was declined, leaving her reliant on others for financial support, raising serious concerns about her treatment.
“During her trip to see her father in Miami last month for his birthday, the credit card given to her by Sabrina was declined and someone else had to pay for her purchases, and that’s elder abuse,” an insider told The US Sun.
Wendy Williams has been under a court-ordered guardianship since 2022, following concerns raised by her bank, Wells Fargo, regarding her well-being, prompting the intervention of a New York Supreme Court judge.