Wendy Williams’ former executive producer insists the ailing talk host knew about her upcoming Peacock documentary long before its public announcement.
Suzanne Bass, 52, who served as executive producer on “The Wendy Williams Show,” told Williams about the project “twice” during dinners together, a source close to Bass said last week. The source flatly rejected claims by Williams’ attorney that she had been blindsided by news of the three-part docuseries “Clap If You Care.”
“She’s had so many dinners with Wendy, and they’ve talked about doing talking panels together, podcasts, documentaries… It was a whole thing. Wendy being blindsided is bullsh-t,” the source said.
The conflicting accounts have ignited a public war of words between camps. Power attorney Joe Tacopina, representing Williams, 59, maintained that Bass “never said that she was executive producing a documentary about ‘The Wendy Williams Show.'” He said there was “never a discussion she had with Wendy” about the specific Peacock project.
Tacopina said Bass had approached Williams roughly a year ago with a vague inquiry about whether she would be interested in “doing any press surrounding her life and situation.” Williams declined, he noted, and the two have not spoken in months. “Wendy has not talked to Suzanne now in months,” Tacopina said, though the Bass source claimed their last conversation occurred in June.
“She absolutely was blindsided, and only found out about this project when people started reaching out to her saying, ‘Peacock is doing a documentary about her career/life and Suzanne is the EP,” Tacopina continued. “Two weeks later, the project was announced online. She had no heads up about anything.”
Williams’ former protege Charlamagne tha God and his “Breakfast Club” co-host Loren LoRosa were first to report that Williams had been caught off guard. Charlamagne said he refused to participate in the documentary because Williams was not involved. He further claimed those closest to Wendy, including her news anchor niece Alex Finnie, were also unaware of the project.
The doc is billed as celebrating Williams’ “outrageous fun, cultural impact, and meteoric rise.” Former “Wendy” regular Chris Witherspoon is also listed as an executive producer alongside Bass. It is slated for a 2027 release.
Netflix is reportedly working on another documentary about Williams, which she also reportedly did not know about.
The documentary dispute marks the latest turbulence surrounding the former daytime queen, who has faced mounting personal and legal challenges in recent years. Williams has been under a court-appointed guardianship since 2022 amid ongoing health concerns, including a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. Her family has publicly sparred with the guardian over access to Williams, while her ex-husband Kevin Hunter’s infidelity and subsequent divorce played out messily in the tabloids. The “Clap If You Care” title itself references one of Williams’ signature on-air catchphrases, making the absence of her participation or approval particularly notable for a project meant to honor her legacy.
Bass could not be reached for comment and a rep for Peacock did not respond to requests for comment.