Wendy Williams is responding to Wells Fargo for claims that she is a victim of “financial exploitation”, saying “she is fine” and “she is of sound mind”.
In a statement to ET, Williams’ attorney, LaShawn Thomas, said Friday that “Wendy wants the world to know that she strongly denies all allegations about her mental health and well-being.” Thomas also offered details about why Williams is in a legal battle with Wells Fargo.
“Unfortunately, Wendy had to bring this action because Wells Fargo refused to honor her power of attorney, granting her son the authority to make inquiries to the bank on Wendy’s behalf,” the statement read. “Wendy further believes that all of the false narratives currently circulating stem from this source and she is saddened that she once considered this person to be a friend of hers.”
Williams recently applied for a temporary restraining order v. Wells Fargo asking the judge to order Wells Fargo “to reopen any frozen accounts or assets” and to grant Williams “access to any and all accompanying statements.” He also wants the bank to be prohibited from “freezing any and all assets containing funds that were withdrawn and/or withheld” from Williams’ personal and business accounts.
Wells Fargo also submitted a letter saying it is “open to making arrangements with [Williams’] attorney to release funds directly to creditors to pay outstanding amounts that have historically and regularly been paid from the accounts in question, such as employee wages, utilities, and the like.” The judge has yet to rule on the matter.
The legal battle stems from Wells Fargo initially filing a letter in court, claiming it has strong reasons to believe Williams “is a victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.” The bank claimed it took the dramatic step because Williams’ financial adviser “recently witnessed telltale signs of exploitation, including [Williams’] own expressed apprehensions, but also about other independent third parties who know [Williams] well and share these concerns.
Referring to those claims, Williams’ attorney said in a statement that “Wendy is saddened that Wells Fargo has chosen to believe the allegations of a former employee who is upset that she no longer has direct and unrestricted access to Wendy’s financial affairs.” .
In court documents, Williams claimed that the financial adviser in question was fired because of his “misappropriation in connection with [Williams’] accounts and [her] improper conduct in relation to their professional relationship.”
Williams’ attorney, in a statement, says the TV personality has gone to great lengths to find out how this all happened.
“She has spoken with several bank representatives and has even gone to a local branch and discussed this issue with bank managers, as clear evidence that there are no concerns about her state of mind,” the statement read. “In fact, Wells Fargo’s alleged suspicions were never raised until Wendy made it known that she no longer wanted to bank at Wells Fargo due to the bank’s mishandling of complaints against her advisor.”
Williams’ attorney also addressed his state of mind and provided an update on his health progress.
“During this break in the show, Wendy has engaged holistic health professionals to help her achieve optimal health during her treatment of Graves’ disease and thyroid issues,” the statement read. “Wendy wants her to know that she’s okay, that she’s in her right mind.”
The attorney also thanked the fans, on behalf of Williams, for patiently waiting for his return.
In a statement to ET, a Wells Fargo spokesperson says that their “priority is the financial well-being of Ms. Williams and the preservation of her privacy. As we have expressed in Court, Wells Fargo is willing to work with Ms. Williams. “. ‘ attorney to release funds directly to your creditors for historically and regularly paid bills from your accounts.”
The statement added: “We deny any allegations of wrongdoing with respect to Ms. Williams’ accounts and are fully engaging in a judicial process to reach a resolution that is in her best interest. The financial well-being of our clients is at the center”. heart of everything we do.
