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Wendy Williams FIRES management team after being replaced by Sherri Shepherd

Wendy's verified new Instagram story called out her crisis manager Howard Bragman for speaking on her behalf without her permission
PUBLISHED FEB 24, 2022
Wendy Williams has reportedly fired her management team, including her crisis manager Howard Bragman (R) after being replaced by Sherri Shepherd (L) (Instagram, Twitter)
Wendy Williams has reportedly fired her management team, including her crisis manager Howard Bragman (R) after being replaced by Sherri Shepherd (L) (Instagram, Twitter)

Talk show host Wendy Williams has reportedly has gotten rid of her longtime manager, Bernie Young, and her crisis manager, Howard Bragman. Inside sources reportedly said, "Bernie and Howard are out. They don't even have a way to get in contact with her. No one has no way to get in contact with Wendy, she doesn't even have her own phone anymore."

The insider claimed Howard was brought on by the show's production company, Debmar Mercury, but was never hired by Wendy herself. Reports state that Howard was brought on in September, just two days after Wendy was transported to a New York City hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Bernie's hiring back in 2019 was also led by the production company, although Wendy agreed to his role, added the source.

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"Her son is doing a great job with her, taking care of her and getting her the help she needs. Kevin Jr has Power of Attorney, but his dad is helping him manage what that means he needs to do. He's young, and because of everything going on, Wendy isn't opposed to having her ex-husband help her," a friend told The Sun.

Wendy Williams in a promotional picture for her talk show 'The Wendy Williams Show' (Wendy Show)

Meanwhile, it was officially announced that 'The Wendy Williams Show' is ending and will be replaced by Sherri Shepherd's new series. "OMG! I am so excited to have my dream come true and debut my very own talk show Sherri in the fall. I can't wait until I return to NY to host the show and merge everything I love... pop culture, talk, entertainment and comedy. I am thankful to Debmar-Mercury and Fox for partnering with me on this show and look forward to this new journey," said Shepherd after the announcement.

In a statement on behalf of Wendy, Howard had told People, "It's been a challenging time for Wendy as she deals with her health issues. She is incredibly grateful to Debmar-Mercury, to Sherri and everybody else who has supported the show through this time. She, more than anyone, understands the reality of syndicated television — you can't go to the marketplace and sell a show that's The Maybe Wendy Show. She understands why this decision was made from a business point of view, and she has been assured by Debmar-Mercury that should her health get to a point where she can host again and should her desire be that she hosts again that she would be back on TV at that time."

Wendy's verified new Instagram account posted a story and called out Howard for speaking on her behalf without her permission. "Mr. Bragman, although I appreciate your concerns and respect you immensely, I have not authorized you to make any statements on my behalf regarding my current status with Debmar Mercury. Again, thanks for your continuing concern and support," the story read.



 

Howard then questioned who was handling Wendy's new account. "I'm honestly not convinced of the source of that social media post. So when my old friend Wendy Facetimes me personally and we alone have a chance to discuss recent events, together, we can figure out the best path forward," read his Instagram post.



 

Shepherd, on the other hand, is excited about finally getting her own show. "As many of you saw on @WendyWilliams Show today, I announced that my new talk show 'SHERRI' will premiere this September. I"m grateful for your support! [folded hands] Details via @Deadline! #SherriShepherd," she tweeted. "So appreciative that @WendyWilliams has issued a statement supporting my new talk show “SHERRI” & for guest-hosting for her this season. See what #WendyWilliams has to say via @Deadline," Shepherd further added.



 

"When you think it’s a 'no,' sometimes God is saying 'Not Yet!' I've wanted to do my own talk show since I left 'The View' in 2014! Today, God showed the world my 'YES!' Thank you everyone for making this dream of hosting my own talk show come true! #SherriShepherd," read another Tweet posted by Shepherd. She continued, "Thanks Debmar-Mercury (Ira Bernstein pictured); my new Executive Producer @JawnMurray; and to my EP/showrunner David Perler. The 'SHERRI' show will premiere this September. More details coming! #SherriShepherd ([camera emoji]'s by @AndrewWerner)"



 

Debmar-Mercury co-presidents, Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, released a joint statement that said, "Sherri is a natural who proved her hosting skills for many years as a panelist on The View, on Fox's Dish Nation and again this season as a popular guest host of Wendy. Like our viewers, we have been impressed by the unique comedic twist Sherri puts on our daily live 'Hot Topics' segment, her creativity and interactions with our guests. Her love for the content and daytime fans is obvious, and we are excited to partner with her to create another long-term talk franchise."

"This is also a bitter-sweet moment for us and our partners at Fox. We all have a great love and affinity for Wendy, who grew into a true icon during her 12 incredible seasons as the solo host of a live, daily talk show dishing on 'Hot Topics' and interviewing celebrities. Since Wendy is still not available to host the show as she continues on her road to recovery, we believe it is best for our fans, stations and advertising partners to start making this transition now. We hope to be able to work with Wendy again in the future, and continue to wish her a speedy and full recovery," the co-presidents added.

Wendy Williams attends the 2019 NYWIFT Muse Awards at the New York Hilton Midtown (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images)

Wendy has been battling medical issues for months. "The spark is gone. That Wendy, who for ten years had that spark in her eyes, that cheeky grin and that little wink is not the same now," said one inside source. "She's not always functioning like she used to be. She has days where she needs help eating, getting out of bed and getting dressed. There are people who Wendy knows, who have worked closely with her, and there are days that she has no idea who they are," the source concluded.

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