Wendy Williams
 |
Wendy Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wendy Joan Williams July 18, 1964 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Queen of All Media |
| Occupation(s) | Talk Show Host Author Radio Personality |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Known for | Hosting the The Wendy Williams Show, former Shock Jock on The Wendy Williams Experience |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Spouse(s) | Kevin Hunter, Sr. (1998-present) |
| Children | Kevin Hunter, Jr. |
Wendy Joan Williams (born July 18, 1964), known professionally as Wendy Williams, is an American media personality and New York Times bestselling author. She hosts her own syndicated talk show, The Wendy Williams Show.[1] Williams is known for being a former DJ in New York City, where she gossiped about entertainers and conducted celebrity interviews. Williams gained notoriety for her on-air spats with celebrities.
Early life
Williams was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey to Thomas and Shirley Williams, as the middle child of three children. Her siblings are named Wanda, an attorney, and Tommy, a schoolteacher. She and her siblings were raised in Ocean Township, New Jersey in the Wayside section.[2] She graduated from Ocean Township High School.[3] From 1982 to 1986, Williams attended Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she majored in communications and was also a DJ for the college radio station WRBB 104.9 FM.
Radio career
Williams also interned at WXKS-FM ("Kiss 108") in Boston. She later became a DJ for radio station WVIS in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and after eight months there, accepted a job at oldies station WOL in Washington D.C..
In 1989, Williams began "98.7 Kiss FM" in New York City as a fill-in DJ. As rival station WBLS began hiring away staff from that station, Kiss FM hired her full-time for its morning show and gave her a non-compete clause contract; at this time she started her trademark of talking about African-American celebrities, giving listeners the dirt on their personal lives. A year later, Ms. Williams landed her own 6-10 p.m. shift, eventually winning the Billboard Award for Best On-Air Radio Personality in 1993. The following year after her Billboard award Emmis Broadcasting bought out Kiss FM and switched Williams to the company's Hot 97.
Williams was fired from Hot 97 in 1998 for allegedly getting in a fight with her co-worker Angie Martinez, while outing her romantic relationship with rapper Q-Tip. In her New York Times bestselling autobiography Wendy's Got the Heat,[4] Williams praised Martinez while acknowledging a mostly verbal confrontation. Williams stated that the station used the incident as an excuse to terminate her contract, and suggested that it was really pressure from hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs which led to her dismissal. She alludes to this in her second book The Wendy Williams Experience, as she wrote "He single-handedly tried to ruin me...".
After the Hot97 incident, Williams was hired by a Philadelphia station WUSL ("Power 99FM"), claiming her New York fans "left her for dead".
In 2001, Williams returned to the New York airwaves when WBLS hired her full-time for her own syndicated 2-6 p.m. William's friend, MC Spice of Boston, Massachusetts, offered his voice over services to the show, often adding short rap verses tailored specifically for William's show. As of 2008, she is syndicated in Redondo Beach, California (on a station which services the Los Angeles metropolitan area); Shreveport, Louisiana; Wilmington, Delaware; Toledo, Ohio; Columbia, South Carolina; Emporia, Virginia; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Tyler, Texas; and Alexandria, Louisiana among other markets.
Williams' interview style is brash, and she refers to herself, à la Howard Stern, as the "Queen Of All Media". In her television and radio shows, she regularly provides celebrity gossip.
Williams has published several books including the paperback novel Drama is Her Middle Name: The Ritz Harper Chronicles Vol. 1 (2006), which is co-authored by Karen Hunter.
In 2003, Williams interviewed R&B singer Blu Cantrell, asking questions about her sexual activities and practices, her criticism of other R&B artists, and her drug abuse. This interview was sold as a bonus DVD with Cantrell's Bittersweet album.
Williams has been a spokesmodel for Georges Veselle champagne.
In October 2007, Williams filled in for Jodi Applegate on WNYW's morning television show Good Day New York. On the July 23, 2009 episode of her television show, Williams announced that she had elected to leave radio in order to focus full-time on her television program, as well as spend more time with her family.
On July 31, 2009, Wendy Williams ended her eight year long venture with WBLS to focus on her TV show and family. Also in 2009, she was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.[1]
Television and other media
Television show
On July 13, 2008, Williams debuted her daytime talk show The Wendy Williams Show on My 9 and FOX 5 in New York, and My 13 and FOX 11 in L.A., and most FOX O&O stations except WTVT. The show aired in New York City, Dallas, Detroit, and Los Angeles during summer 2009 for a test run. FOX television stations signed a deal with syndication company Debmar-Mercury at the end of the test to broadcast the show on its station group beginning in July 2009.[5] The "shock jockette" remains true to her moniker when in her television trailer, she refers to exercising and crunching for her "belly flatness" and "kegeling" (strengthening her vaginal muscles).
In addition to FOX Broadcasting Networks (which also owns MyNetworkTV), BET has also picked up cable rights to The Wendy Williams Show which will premiere simultaneously on TV stations covering more than 95 percent of the United States and BET. Representatives of the BET Networks have stated "After two solid quarters of growth at BET, we're thrilled that 'The Wendy Williams Show' will be joining our line-up in July to strengthen the network's momentum," said Barbara Zaneri, Executive Vice President Programming Strategy, Scheduling and Acquisitions, who negotiated the deal for BET Networks.[6]
Williams has cried several times on her talk show. One instance occurred while talking about weight issues during an Ask Wendy segment. Another instance occurred while discussing her experience with pregnancy during a Hot Topics segment on August 27, 2009. She cried yet again on September 15, 2009 while stating that she did not feel that Whitney Houston took ownership of her previous drug abuse problem in a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey. She compared Houston's drug abuse problem with her own struggles with cocaine. She was clearly moved during an intimate and animated interview with her "big sister" Natalie Cole on February 4, 2010. Williams also cried when comedian and television host Whoopi Goldberg appeared on her show on February 15, 2010.
Along with interviews, Wendy Williams's TV talk show has sparked a friendly rivalry with Joel McHale of The Soup.
On November 19, 2009, the producer announced to the studio audience that the show was confirmed to continue through the 2011-12 season. This information was not announced during the filming of that day's show, only the in- house audience received the news. It was also stated that the show was ranking in the 3rd spot out of 14 with female hosts who are considered competition. The show is currently performing best in the New York City market.[citation needed]
Movie
In 2009, Williams announced that she was in the planning stages of making a movie about her life. The Queen of All Media was written by Kimba Henriques, with Robin Givens in the lead role of Wendy Williams. Filming wrapped up in late August 2007 and is set to be released sometime in 2010. After Wendy's talk show premiered, producers thought that the movie needed a different ending, which they filmed August 18. Wendy announced this on her radio show and also said that she wasn't really sure when it will be out.
Other notable cast members include Angel Lola Luv, Trey Songz, Lil' Kim, and Chandra 'Deelishis' Davis.
Internet
In 2009, BlogTV announced that Wendy would be a partner with the virtual web show hosting web site that was schedule to launch in mid-2010 which would feature live streaming web cam sessions with celebrity guests.[7]
Awards
- Williams has won "Radio Personality Of The Year" awards from both Billboard and Radio & Records industry magazines[citation needed]
- Williams was awarded the title of "Most Guiltiest Pleasure" at the 2009 NewNowNext Awards for The Wendy Williams Show[citation needed]
- Williams has been awarded title "Woman of the Year" for 2009 by E! Network's The Soup
Controversy
In an incident on her Hot 97 show in 1995, Williams notoriously aired rumors that Tupac Shakur was raped in prison. Shakur was furious over the rumor, which New Jersey underground rapper Chino XL referenced in a song, Riot. Shakur later addressed Wendy Williams on the song "Why U Wanna Turn On Me?", which remained unreleased until his death in 1996. In the song, Shakur insults Williams and refers to her as a "fat troll," and threatening a $20,000 lawsuit. Shakur's former boss, Suge Knight, however, has since become a frequent guest on the Williams' WBLS show.
In 2003, Williams caused controversy while interviewing Whitney Houston on her alleged drug habits and tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown. At several points in the interview, Houston berated Wendy with expletives. Williams asked what would you say to Diane Sawyer, Houston replied "if this were back in the day in Newark I'd meet you outside, but not now, because I'm a lady with class."
Williams has been referred to (often negatively) in song lyrics by several artists, among them Jay-Z, Will Smith, Lil' Kim, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.[10]
Williams has been heavily criticized by rap artist and actor Method Man for airing private facts about his family's personal life (particularly, his wife's illness) which he would rather remained private. He said that Williams' behavior was "tacky and disrespectful."[11]
On March 25, 2008, the New York Post reported that Nicole Spence, talent booker for the Williams experience, filed papers with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suing Williams. Spence, 27, claims that Williams' husband, Kevin Hunter, demanded sex from her on many occasions and created a hostile work environment by threatening and assaulting his wife on company premises. "Mr. Hunter repeatedly sexually propositioned me at work in the most crude and vulgar ways," Spence states. Spence also says that Williams did nothing to stop the alleged abuse, and in fact "offered to take me shopping so I could dress 'like a sexy little bitch,' as Mr. Hunter demanded." Both Williams and Hunter deny the charges.[12][13]
See also
References
- ^ The Wendy Williams Show on FOX
- ^ "How New York's Shock Jockette Got Supersized", New York, October 16, 2005, Accessed December 3, 2007
- ^ Neglia, Ashley V. "Mixing Media", New Jersey Monthly, June 9, 2008, Accessed July 22, 2008
- ^ Bernard, Audrey J. "YOU GO, GIRL! Wendy Williams' turns up the heat with sizzling new CD," The New York Beacon, June 22, 2005, Accessed July 22, 2008: "Currently, Wendy's outstanding media career"
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia. "'Wendy Williams' set for July: Talk show goes national this summer", Variety, 12 January 2009
- ^ Tanklefsky, David. BET Acquires Cable Run Of Wendy Williams Show, Broadcasting & Cable, 4 June 2009
- ^ Wendy Williams on BlogTv http://www.blogtv.com/People/WendyWilliams
- ^ "National Radio Hall of Fame: Wendy Williams, Talkshow Host".
- ^ "NATIONAL RADIO HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2009". August 5, 2009.
- ^ Drake, Monica. "A Radio Shock Jock Who’s Ready for TV", The New York Times, July 13, 2008, Accessed July 22, 2008
- ^ "Interview with www.itshiphop.tv" July 11, 2006, Accessed January 11, 2010
- ^ "Court Papers: DJ Wendy Williams' Husband Beat Her, Propositioned Aide for Sex", Fox News Channel, March 25, 2008, Accessed July 22, 2008
- ^ "Buzz Briefs: Jay-Z, R. Kelly", CBS News, 12 June 2008