https://youtu.be/4YIgXcBrJEY
The Wendy Williams Show returned to the airwaves Monday after a three-and-a-half week production hiatus due to coronavirus — and the talk show host is already picking fights and naming names.
From a dining table in her New York apartment, Williams welcomed fans back to the show, undaunted by a broken smoke detector that chirped at intervals throughout the program.
Dressed in a leopard-print blouse that matched her coffee mug, she began her monologue with shout-outs to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, medical workers and first responders, then spoke briefly about the TV show Empire before launching into a rant about how she hung up on Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes.
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According to Williams, Leakes tried to “ambush” her on Friday night with a request to FaceTime while Leakes entertained a group of friends.
“I like NeNe, but she’s still an ‘over there’ person to me. Honestly, here’s where the ambush comes in,” Williams recalled. “She said, ‘Wendy, look’ — she was in hair and makeup and wardrobe with all her people — she said, ‘we filming and I want you to be on the speaker.'”
Williams said she wants nothing to do with RHOA and refuses to appear on the show.
“I know I have my ratchet ways, but the fact is I worked 35 years of my life to sit here for 11 seasons… I’m not slumming by being some add-on out of a suitcase for some Housewives,” she said.
Williams also weighed in on the feud between Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Flavor Flav, taking the latter’s side in a public war of words over Flav’s contention that he was fired from the legendary rap group. Chuck D maintains it was an April Fool’s joke.
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Williams’ juicy commentary is a return to semi-normal conditions since her show was temporarily shuttered on March 12.
Her “new” programming features her signature “Hot Topics” and “Ask Wendy” segments, along with video check-ins with such familiar sidekicks as her producer, Norman Baker, and her comedian friend, Luenell. The show will also include celebrity interviews and bits that were pre-taped before the coronavirus pandemic affected production.
“This is the way it’s going to be for quite some time, so might as well get used to this,” Williams said. “I’m in my apartment. You’re going to get one angle, which is the angle that you see. There will be no virtual tours, no nothin.’ This is all my stuff. This is the mess that I am. How are YOU holding up?!”
