Wendy Williams' net worth after talk show: How host's wealth dwindled by half in just two years
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The unceremonious conclusion of Wendy Williams’s eponymous talk show has significantly impacted the host’s wealth. While she was estimated to be worth around $40 million in 2021, it has now nearly halved to $20M, according to sources.
Wendy's career has been built around ‘The Wendy Williams Show’, which also served as her main source of income. After its 2008 debut, the daytime talk show quickly gained popularity among viewers. The program was a welcome change from conventional talk programs because it incorporated celebrity interviews, trending themes, and Wendy's trademark comments. Wendy was both the executive producer and host of the program, which significantly contributed to its popularity. Her net worth dramatically increased as a result of the show's success. Wendy reportedly made $10 million a year from the show before it ended last year, according to reports.
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What is Wendy Williams’ net worth?
The ‘Hot Topics’ host is reportedly worth $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Along with having her podcast, she is also the owner of the jewelry line Adorn by Wendy Williams, which can be found retailing on the home shopping network QVC.
Wendy Williams has several properties she calls home, according to The Richest. In New York City, she has a penthouse apartment worth $1.4 million. She also owns a huge mansion in New Jersey worth $2 million, which boasts an envious inventory of six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a swimming pool, and a tennis court. Besides, she also has a house in Florida worth $765,000, a $525,000 Manhattan apartment, and a $1.4 million home in California.
She also boasts a stellar collection of luxury cars including a Bentley, an Aston Martin v12 Zagato, and a Mini Cooper S.
What was Wendy Williams' salary?
Her reported salary from the show was $10 million. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she filmed around 180 episodes a year, thus making her per-episode salary $55,000.
Why has Wendy Williams’s wealth dwindled?
Following her exit from the show in October 2021 due to illness, Wendy lost a significant stream of income. Her attorney, who defended her when her ex Kevin Hunter filed for resumption of funds from the ailing host as per their divorce settlement, said in November 2022, "She presently has no other television show being aired and paying her any income, let alone an equivalent salary." Wendy’s attorney also wrote, "On October 15, of 2021 plaintiff was informed by Talk WW that her contract was being suspended and that no compensation shall accrue or be payable to plaintiff for the duration of plaintiff's disability and incapacity," reports The US Sun.
The US Sun also reported that Wells Fargo froze Wendy's bank accounts in 2022 as her former financial manager allegedly advised them that Wendy “was of unsound mind.”