Wendy Williams refutes claims of being 'cognitively impaired' and expresses that she feels 'confined within a conservatorship.'

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Wendy Williams is pushing back against claims that she is suffering from cognitive impairment following her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. The former talk-show host appeared on "The Breakfast Club" on Thursday, where she refuted the notion that she requires the extensive care she is currently receiving. Charlamagne tha God, a co-host of the show and a long-time friend of Williams, introduced her, stating that she is "being taken advantage of." "I am not cognitively impaired," Williams asserted, adding, "But I do feel like I am in prison." She described her living situation among residents in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, emphasizing that at 60, she still feels "sexy and gorgeous." She expressed concern about the well-being of those around her, saying, "There's something wrong with these people here on this floor." Last year, Williams' representatives announced her diagnosis of progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, conditions known to affect cognitive abilities and communication, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. During her conversation with "The Breakfast Club," she voiced her dissatisfaction with the facility's restrictions, noting that she is not allowed to leave or have visitors. "You can't even leave and take a walk if you wanted to," she lamented. Accompanying her was her niece, Alex Fannie, who described her aunt's residence as a "luxury prison." Fannie recounted her own experience visiting Williams, highlighting the excessive security measures and intrusive questioning she faced. "I mean, it was absolutely just horrible," she said, adding that her aunt is unable to contact family or friends or access the internet. Williams expressed feeling "trapped in a conservatorship" and lamented spending several birthdays alone, which she likened to "emotional abuse." In 2022, she was placed under a court-ordered financial guardianship. CNN has reached out to her legal guardian, attorney Sabrina Morrissey, for a response. Williams hosted the widely popular "The Wendy Williams Show" from 2008 until its cancellation in 2022, facing numerous health challenges in the latter years of the show's run. In 2017, she collapsed during a live episode due to an electrolyte imbalance, and by 2018, she took a medical leave for Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder. In 2019, various guest hosts stepped in as she recovered from a shoulder fracture. Williams was unable to host her show during the 2021-2022 season, leading to its eventual cancellation. Fannie criticized the conservatorship system and suggested that a new medical evaluation could potentially restore some of her aunt's independence. "I'm not asking for a whole lot," Fannie stated. "All I'm saying is just treat the woman with dignity and give her the freedoms that she deserves."