Who was Wendy Williams married to? Ex-husband sues the former talk show host's guardian

Former talk show host Wendy Williams' ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, recently sued her legal guardian. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, names several defendants who facilitated the exploitation of Williams.

For context, Williams has been placed under a court-ordered financial guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, since 2022. At the time, her bank, Wells Fargo, froze her accounts and requested courts to determine if she needed one. In February, it was announced that the TV personality was diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and had entered an assisted living facility for treatment.

However, since early 2025, Wendy Williams has challenged having a cognitive disability. This included a January 2025 interview on the Breakfast Club, where she claimed she felt like she was in a "prison."

Per People magazine, in the suit, which Hunter claims he filed on his ex-wife's behalf, he alleged that the defendants have violated Wendy's constitutional rights, adding:

"Guardianship is a civil death. In New York, more than 28,000 adults, which includes (Williams), are being abused, neglected, and defrauded under the care of court-appointed guardians."

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Hunter questioned whether Wendy Williams' case met proper legal standards

Wendy Williams married Kevin Hunter, a TV producer, in the late 1990s, and they share a son. He was also Williams' manager. The former talk show host filed for a divorce in April 2019, citing irreconcilable differences after Hunter fathered a child with his mistress, according to the New Yorker.

In Tuesday's filing, Hunter questioned whether Wendy Williams' case met proper legal standards. He claimed that his ex-wife was a victim of "unrestrained abuse, maltreatment, and fiscal malfeasance" in the three years they imposed a guardianship. He even alleged that it was done in "a secret proceeding," with Williams not having the opportunity to obtain "adequate legal representation."

Hunter noted that the TV personality was "not afforded an independent medical evaluation" before being placed under the guardianship. He also stated that Wendy has been subjected to "overmedication and undue restrictions."

The legal complaint named 48 defendants. These include Morrissey, the judge presiding over her case, Lisa Sokoloff, the aforementioned assisted living facility, lawyers, and even Wells Fargo, reported People magazine.

According to Kevin Hunter's suit, the defendants took undue advantage of Wendy Williams. This included her assisted care specialists photographing her "in a state of undress without consent," sharing her location with third parties, and even selling images and information to media outlets.

He accused Sokoloff of not allowing his ex-wife's legal counsel to submit filings, make court appearances, or have access to previous court documents. Kevin Hunter also claimed both Wells Fargo and Williams' court-appointed lawyer, Linda Redlisky, were "financial contributors" to Judge Sokoloff’s re-election campaign.

Meanwhile, he accused Wendy Williams' financial advisor at Wells Fargo, Lori Schiller, of paying money (from Williams' account) to Dr. Rami Kaminski. He claimed it was Kaminski who reportedly wrote the January 2022 medical opinion letter stating the former host needed a guardian.

According to People, Kevin called the guardianship a "weapon," not a "shield," adding:

"(Wendy Williams) remains a captive of a corrupt, criminal enterprise, and Plaintiffs submit this action to the Court in hopes of freeing her from this fraudulent bondage."

Wendy Williams with Kevin Hunter and their son - Source: Getty

As for Sabrina Morrissey, Hunter claimed she had wrongly announced that Williams had "declined to participate" in a "competency evaluation" in March 2025, reported the outlet. The lawsuit alleges that the Wendy Williams Show host had passed the test.

Kevin accused Sabrina of financial mismanagement, citing Wendy's 2024 tax lien, loss of profit on her NYC penthouse, and sale of her personal items, reported People. The sale included two of her "beloved rescue cats" without Wendy's knowledge. This "isolat(ed)" her from "much-needed companionship and emotional support."

He claimed his ex-wife lost $20 million per year in earnings from not being able to work. He alleged their son did not have access to his college fund and claimed Morrissey used Wendy's own money to pay for the case against her.

The lawsuit is not seeking to end the guardianship but rather to appoint a "new impartial guardian" and for the former TV host to be released from her "involuntary confinement." He also wants any files pertaining to Wendy Williams' case to be unsealed. Further, the lawsuit wants a full forensic accounting (an investigation done to determine if there is any financial misconduct).

The filing is seeking $250 million in compensatory damages. Notably, it names Hunter as a co-plaintiff.

Citing the legal documents, People relayed that Hunter requested to be appointed as Wendy Williams' "next friend." Per the complaint, a next friend is someone who can legally act "on behalf of an individual unable to assert their own rights and when no guardian is acting in their best interests."

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Wendy Williams denied having any association with Kevin Hunter's lawsuit

In a statement made to TMZ, Williams denied having any involvement in her ex-husband's lawsuit. She claimed it felt like a "money grab."

In a statement made to People, Hunter's lawyer, LaShawn Thomas, acknowledged that Williams was not "legally aware" of all the evidence they have in her support. He noted that he planned to have her rights "vindicated" and she be made "whole financially."

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay