Guilty Pleasures
By Associated Press
Wendy Williams diagnosed with same form of dementia as Bruce Willis
LOS ANGELES | Former talk show host Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with the same form of dementia that actor Bruce Willis has, a statement released Thursday on behalf of her caretakers says.
The statement said the 59-year-old’s diagnoses of primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia “have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life” and have behavioral and cognitive impacts.
“Wendy is still able to do many things for herself. Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed. She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way,” the statement attributed to her care team said.
The statement on Williams’ health was issued on PR Newswire. A representative listed on the release, Jennifer Hanley, referred questions back to the statement when contacted by The Associated Press.
The announcement came a day after a cover story in People magazine quoted Williams’ family about the nature of her struggles, ahead of a Lifetime documentary set to air Saturday.
“The people who love her cannot see her,” People quoted Williams’ sister Wanda as saying. “I think the big (question) is: How the hell did we get here?” The family said a court-appointed legal guardian was the only person with unfettered access to Williams.
The article said the Lifetime documentary crew, which set out in 2022 to chronicle Williams’ comeback, stopped filming in April 2023 when, her manager “and jeweler” Will Selby says in footage for the film, she entered a facility to treat “cognitive issues.” Her son says in the documentary that doctors had connected her cognitive issues to alcohol use, People reported.
Her family told People they don’t know where she is and cannot call her themselves, but she can call them.
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration describes FTD as a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain that affects behavior, language and movement. Aphasia, a brain disorder that can lead to problems speaking or understanding words, can be a symptom of it. The association describes frontotemporal degeneration as “an inevitable decline in functioning,” with an average life expectancy of seven to 13 years after the onset of symptoms.
FTD usually occurs in people in their 40s, 50s and early 60s. It can affect a person’s personality, causing a loss of inhibition or inappropriate behavior. It is sometimes mistaken for depression or bipolar disorder, and can take years to diagnose.
There are no treatments to slow or stop the disease, but some interventions can help manage symptoms.
The association was involved in the disclosure of Willis’ diagnosis in February 2023, hosting a statement posted by the actor’s family.
“We thank Wendy Williams for having the courage to make her diagnosis public and raise awareness of the disease,” association CEO Susan Dickinson said in a statement. “”We know that a diagnosis like this can be heartbreaking, but she is not alone. While there may not be a cure, every day we are working to improve care and research into treatments for this disease.”
Thursday’s statement credited Weill Cornell Medicine in New York with the care and expertise Williams received. Weill Cornell declined comment.
Williams rose to fame in part due to her no-boundaries approach to her life, which included sharing personal details about her health, plastic surgery and cocaine addiction — the subject of her 2003 memoir, “Wendy’s Got the Heat.”
A hallmark of “The Wendy Williams Show,” which competed for viewers with Ellen DeGeneres’ show, was her signature phrase, “How you doin’?” She transitioned to television after a successful career as a radio host, known for her hot takes on gossip and skewering of celebrities, including a contentious 2003 interview with Whitney Houston.
In 2022, Williams’ self-titled daytime talk show ended because of her ongoing health issues. Sherri Shepherd, who filled in for Williams as a guest host, received her own show.
Williams said in 2018 that she had been diagnosed years before with Graves’ disease, which leads to the overproduction of thyroid hormones and can cause wide-ranging symptoms and affect overall health.
LA ethics panel rejects proposed fine for ex-CBS exec Les Moonves over police probe interference
LOS ANGELES | The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission unanimously rejected a proposed settlement between the city and Les Moonves on Wednesday, saying a tougher penalty is warranted for the former CBS chief executive accused of interfering with a police investigation into sexual assault allegations against him.
Moonves had agreed to pay an $11,250 fine to settle the ethics commission complaint, which alleged that he worked closely with a police department official to obtain information about a sexual assault victim’s confidential police report.
Ethics commission staff worked with Moonves on the proposed fine, but it still needed approval by the volunteer panel that oversees the commission, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The commissioners felt that the “extremely egregious nature of the allegations” warranted a stronger penalty, ethics commission president Jeffrey Daar said.
Jason Reitman and Hollywood’s most prominent directors buy beloved Village Theater in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES | Some of Hollywood’s most prominent filmmakers have purchased a 93-year-old iconic theater known as a cultural landmark for moviegoers in Los Angeles.
Jason Reitman along with more than 30 directors including Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and Bradley Cooper acquired Westwood’s Village Theater, the group announced Wednesday. The coalition wants to preserve the theater, which has become a mainstay for movie premieres since the venue opened in 1931.
The terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
Reitman said he felt compelled to pull together other filmmakers after the theater went up for sale last year. As a Los Angeles native, he wants to extend the rich history of the Village Theater, which is known for its 170-foot white Spanish tower and a large auditorium that can seat 1,300. It’s also nearby the University of California, Los Angeles.
“I immediately made an offer and hoped my fellow directors would join me on this adventure,” Reitman said in a statement. He noted that some of his films, including “Up in the Air,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Juno” premiered at the theater.
“We take this stewardship very seriously and hope to offer a true community for anyone who loves the movies,” he added.
The directors will showcase artifacts from their personal collections at the theater, including props, wardrobe and film prints.
Chris Columbus, who directed the “Home Alone” and “Harry Potter” films, expects to share his extensive collection of 16mm film prints. He called the theater a “cinematic miracle.”
Spielberg said he wants to help restore the theater to its “glory years as a film-going cultural institution.”
Nolan added: “Cinema has always been the place where filmmakers and movie goers meet, and I’m thrilled to be collaborating with so many of my favorite directors on a space that will show what the future of film exhibition can be.”
The other new owners include: J.J. Abrams, Judd Apatow, Damien Chazelle, Ryan Coogler, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonathan Dayton, Guillermo del Toro, Valerie Faris, Hannah Fidell, Alejandro González Iñárritu, James Gunn, Sian Heder, Rian Johnson, Gil Kenan, Karyn Kusama, Justin Lin, Phil Lord, David Lowery, Christopher McQuarrie, Chris Miller, Alexander Payne, Todd Phillips, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jay Roach, Seth Rogen, Emma Seligman, Brad Silberling, Emma Thomas, Denis Villeneuve, Lulu Wang and Chloé Zhao.
Rapper Kodak Black freed from jail after drug possession charge was dismissed
MIAMI | South Florida rapper Kodak Black was freed from jail Wednesday after a federal judge sentenced him to time served for a probation violation, though a drug trafficking case from 2022 remains ongoing.
U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Miami handed down the sentence nearly two weeks after a drug possession charge was dismissed in neighboring Broward County, according to court records.
Broward County Circuit Judge Barbara Duffy ruled earlier this month that prosecutors could not refute or negate the fact that the rapper, whose real name is Bill Kapri, had an oxycodone prescription filled by a pharmacy.
Plantation police arrested Kapri in December after finding him asleep at the wheel with white powder around his mouth, officials said. Although authorities said the powder initially tested positive for cocaine, a lab test later revealed it was oxycodone, for which Kapri obtained a prescription in July 2022.
The arrest was a violation of his probation from an unrelated case, which led to him being locked up in Miami for two months.
Kapri was arrested in 2022 on charges of trafficking in oxycodone and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He was freed on bond with regular drug testing as a condition of his release. Kapri was ordered into drug rehab for 30 days early last year after missing a drug test in February and then testing positive for fentanyl several days later, according to court records. Then last June, a warrant for his arrest was issued after authorities said he did not show up for a drug test.
In January 2021, then-President Donald Trump commuted a three-year federal prison sentence the rapper had for falsifying documents used to buy weapons. Kapri had served about half his sentence.
As Kodak Black, Kapri has sold more than 30 million singles, with massive hits such as “Super Gremlin,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.
—From AP reports
