Wendy Williams’ court-ordered legal team fired back at her ex-husband Kevin Hunter’s lawsuit demanding her release from “involuntary confinement,” Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On July 17, two lawyers, Allan B. Diamond and Peter J. Strauss, wrote a letter to the federal judge presiding over Hunter’s $250 million suit.
The lawyers said they were appointed by the Guardianship Court to represent Williams, 61, in April after she “indicated her desire to have us represent her individually in the guardianship proceeding.” They said they, along with one other lawyer named Sadatu Salami-Oyakhilome, are the only ones with authority to represent Williams “in connection with her guardianship proceedings.”
In addition, they said the court appointed Sabrina Morrissey to serve as Williams’ official guardian.
The former talk show host’s lawyers said they found Hunter’s lawsuit to be “detrimental” to Williams’ interests. “Moreover, [Williams] herself does not believe the complaint is in her best interest.”
“Read in the best light, the [lawsuit] reflects poor judgment, an incomplete picture of the facts and record and a serious misunderstanding of foundational legal principles,” the letter read. “Read in the worst light, the complaint reveals a deliberate effort to mislead this Court with false statements to obtain improper benefits at [Williams’] expense,” Williams’ lawyer added. “Even though we are ready and able to file a more formal pleading that includes a more robust critical response, two Guardianship Court orders remain effective that require restraint and that this Court should review.”
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Williams’ lawyers pointed out in 2022 the Guardianship Court issued an order sealing the records in the guardianship case. As Us previously reported, Williams was placed under a court-ordered guardianship after Wells Fargo raised concerns about her being a “victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.”
The lawyers said a separate 2022 court order barred the lawyers who filed Hunter’s suit from “communicating in any manner” with Williams and her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., or any member of” her household.
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The lawyers said the injunction barred the lawyers from disclosing in any manner any documents filed in the guardianship. Williams’ lawyers accused Hunter’s attorneys of violating the injunction with the new lawsuit.
Williams’ lawyers ended the letter noting they were the “only court-appointed representatives capable of initiating a litigation for her or on her behalf.” They argued Hunter’s case should be dismissed.
Since the start, Williams has denied that a guardianship was necessary. She and her family continue to work to have it dissolved.
As Us previously reported, last month, Hunter, who was married to the entertainer for 21 years, filed his case against Williams’ guardian, Wells Fargo and Lori Schiller, who worked at Wells Fargo and with Williams.
In court documents, he detailed what allegedly led to Williams being placed under the guardianship. He said a doctor wrote a letter to Schiller claiming Williams was incapable of making medical decisions.
Hunter claimed Schiller leveraged her role at Wells Fargo to make “self-serving” statements claiming Williams told her to “do whatever it takes” if she believed Williams was being “exploited.”
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His suit alleged, “These fabricated instructions, which were known only to Lori Schiller, formed the cornerstone of the justification for Wells Fargo’s filing of its guardianship petition, helping to conceal the true basis for intervening in [Williams’] affairs.”
Hunter claimed his ex-wife was not allowed an independent medical evaluation, timely notice of court hearings or the chance to “meaningfully participate in the proceedings,” which led to her losing control over her financial decisions.
The lawsuit demanded $250 million in damages from the defendants. Hunter believed his ex-wife lost $20 million per year in earnings along with her $80 million estate, and $14 million in other property. He also asked that she be released from the guardianship.
Schiller previously denied any accusations of improper behavior. “All I’ve done was follow the law to the tee, and I’ve been praised by Wells Fargo for all of my efforts,” Schiller told Page Six about her work on Williams’ account.
A judge has yet to rule.
