Wendy Williams has been spending more time with her adult son Kevin Hunter Jr. following ‘an ultimatum’ from the 21-year-old to focus on her health.
The 57-year-old talk show host was seen out briefly with her son on Thursday in Manhattan amid her battle with numerous medical complications from Graves’ disease.
Meanwhile, her eponymous day time chat show is set to return in the New Year without Wendy at the helm as she continues her months long absence.
Mother and son: Wendy Williams was seen out briefly with her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., on Thursday in Manhattan amid her battle with numerous medical complications from Graves’ disease
Wendy managed to make a fashion statement in her brief appearance out wearing black leggings and a pair of tall fur covered black boots which was paired with a varsity jacket.
Her long blonde hair was left down and slightly bedraggled and she sported a black protective facemask.
Kevin, meanwhile, skipped wearing a mask and was casual in jeans and a black hoodie.
This is the second time the mother-son-duo were seen out and about in New York City in recent weeks.
Still chic: Wendy managed to make a fashion statement in her brief appearance out wearing black leggings and a pair of tall fur covered black boots which was paired with a varsity jacket
Hunter Jr. is supporting his ailing mom as she deals with a myriad of health issues that have been keeping her away from hosting her popular talk show.
The 21-year-old is said to have given his mother, 57, an ‘ultimatum’ allegedly telling her that he won’t be in her life ‘unless she fixes herself.’
A source recently claimed to The Sun: ‘Wendy’s relationship with Kevin Jr has been strained. He gave her an ultimatum. He told her he won’t be in her life unless she fixes herself.’
The source added: ‘Her son has been doling out the tough love, telling her “Get yourself help, mom.”‘
Family ties: Hunter Jr. is supporting his ailing mom as she deals with a myriad of health issues that have been keeping her away from hosting her popular talk show
Earlier this month, it was revealed that The Wendy Williams Show will return with new episodes in 2022 but without its beloved host.
In a social media post from the show’s official account, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Michael Rapaport, Kym Whitley, Finesse Mitchell and Sherri Shepherd were listed as guest hosts for the start of 2022.
This comes after sources close to production have been intimating that Wendy may never return as host as she continues to battle various medical issues relating to Graves’ disease.
‘The Wendy Williams Show’ Returns with All-New Episodes in the New Year! @fatjoe & @remyma, @michaelrapaport, @kymwhitley & @finessemitchell and @sherrieshepherd are all set to guest host this January,’ read the caption of a social media post.
A source recently claimed to The Sun : ‘Wendy’s relationship with Kevin Jr has been strained. He gave her an ultimatum. He told her he won’t be in her life unless she fixes herself.’ (Wendy pictured with son and ex Kevin Hunter Sr. in 2017)
The image shared alongside featured images of the aforementioned guest hosts. There was no mention of Wendy herself or any idea of when she might be back.
This crop of guest hosts will take the show through January 28 with February and beyond up in the air.
‘Even if she did come back, she’d be a lame duck because her show isn’t renewed beyond this season,’ a source told Page Six.
This will mark the third guest stint for Sherri Shepherd who is being seen as the top choice to replace Wendy permanently.
A rotating list of guest hosts have been filling in for the ailing star on her daytime chat series while she battles a host of medical issues.
Season 13 premiered with a panel of guest hosts on October 18, including Devyn Simone, Bevy Smith, Leah Remini, Whitney Cummings, Michael Rapaport, Bill Bellamy, and Jerry Springer.
Where’s Wendy? Last week, the show announced the talk show series would be returning in 2022 but without its beloved host
Sherri Shepherd, who will return in January for her third guest hosting stint, is highly considered to be the frontrunner for replacing Wendy permanently.
She was unable to fill in for Williams on Monday, however, after undergoing emergency surgery for appendicitis but, was back on Tuesday.
Sherri broke down her health scare on Hot Topics and revealed she went to the hospital after she began experiencing ‘excruciating pain’ in her abdomen.
‘I’m walking through the streets of New York City and it literally was this excruciating pain in my abdomen, and my assistant…she got me to the hospital because I was in such agony. And I was in the hospital only because I thought they were going to prescribe like a high dosage metamucil, but they put me on an IV and then they gave me a cat scan and they came back and they said I had appendicitis.
Replacement: Sherri Shepherd had to take a short break from guest hosting due to emergency surgery this week but she is highly considered to be the frontrunner for replacing Wendy permanently
‘I started crying because the doctor said I needed to have my appendix taken out like right then and there. So I’m thinking to myself, I’m about to do Wendy. There’s a lot of moving parts, and so I asked the doctor, could you guys do it on Friday?’
‘I was like, if y’all could just do it on Friday as soon as I get done, like you be trying to schedule your dog gone surgery, and the doctors said no… And I never do this, I never do the celebrity thing, but I pulled my mask down and I said, “Do you know who I am? I’m filling in for Wendy Williams. I gotta do Wendy Williams.”
‘And they did know who I was so I figured… but the doctors said, they said, “Sherri if your appendix bursts, they said that you could die.” That’s what they told me. They said you could die if your appendix bursts, and when I heard the word “die”, I said could someone find Michael Rappaport…’
Comedian Michael Rapaport filled in for Sherri and wished her a speedy recovery while hosting the show on Monday.
Back at it: She was unable to fill in for Williams on Monday, however, Sherri was back on Tuesday and broke down her health scare on Hot Topics