New York City seems too small to accommodate both Sherri Shepherd and Wendy Williams. According to sources, 58-year-old former talk show host Wendy Williams is gearing up to leave the Big Apple, unable to bear sharing the same city with the 56-year-old Sherri Shepherd, who replaced her on television.
An insider shared, "Wendy doesn't want to breathe the same air as Sherri, that's how ugly things have become." Williams has reportedly forbidden anyone around her from mentioning Shepherd's name and holds her responsible for losing her job.
Shepherd, a former co-host of The View, secured her own talk show last year, filling the slot previously occupied by Williams. This followed a series of physical and mental challenges faced by Williams, including erratic behavior and rehab stays.
A close friend revealed, "Wendy is planning on leaving New York to start fresh in L.A., far away from Sherri." However, Williams seems to be overlooking the fact that Sherri's show, though taped in New York, is broadcasted nationwide. Therefore, she cannot truly escape Shepherd's presence.
To finance her move to Los Angeles, Williams has been asking friends to help her sell her belongings online. But this effort appears to be a sad attempt that is unlikely to yield a happy ending.
Secret filming project
In the meantime, Williams is said to be preparing for a secret filming project. Her publicist, Shawn Zanotti, confirmed that Williams is filming and working on something, but declined to disclose any details, emphasizing that it is "definitely not a reality show."
Zanotti said, “After taking a long break, Wendy feels some of the best days of her life were in media. She has been in media since her early 20s and wants to return to what she loves.” Williams has been fueling speculation about her next move for months, from announcing an upcoming podcast to hinting at her TV comeback.
Rumors circulated that Williams was pursuing a reality show focused on her life after she was allegedly seen with a film crew at a New York restaurant. However, an insider suggested that the crew didn't appear to be network-affiliated and that the situation didn't seem "pre-planned," as a producer was distributing Non-Disclosure Agreements to restaurant patrons.
An eyewitness described the unexpected scene: "She had a huge crew that basically turned Fresco by Scotto into a movie set... approximately 30 people in the crew. Lights, cameras, audio, producers, etc. [It] looked like a reality show.”