Names and faces
■ Former talk show host Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with the same form of dementia that actor Bruce Willis has, a statement released Thursday on behalf of her caretakers says. The statement said the 59-yearold’s diagnoses of primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia “have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life” and have behavioral and cognitive effects. “Wendy is … receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed. She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way,” the statement attributed to her care team said. A representative listed on the release, Jennifer Hanley, referred questions back to the statement when contacted by The Associated Press. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration describes FTD as a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain that affects behavior, language and movement. Aphasia, a brain disorder that can lead to problems speaking or understanding words, can be a symptom of it. “We thank Wendy Williams for having the courage to make her diagnosis public and raise awareness of the disease,” association CEO Susan Dickinson said in a statement. “While there may not be a cure, every day we are working to improve care and research into treatments for this disease.” Thursday’s statement credited Weill Cornell Medicine in New York with the care and expertise Williams received. Weill Cornell declined comment.
■ The mother of George Floyd’s daughter slammed Tom Sandoval for comparing his cheating scandal to Floyd’s 2020 killing. While Roxie Washington, the mother of Floyd’s 10-year-old daughter Gianna, told TMZ she doesn’t know who the “Vanderpump Rules” star is, she said such a comparison is “dumb s***” he should repeat in the mirror. While Sandoval made the decision to cheat on his girlfriend of nearly 10 years with their close friend and castmate, 46-year-old Floyd lost his life to police brutality, Washington noted. Sandoval made the comparison when speaking to New York Times Magazine for an article published this week titled, “How Tom Sandoval Became the Most Hated Man in America.” “I’m not a pop culture historian really,” the Bravo star told the magazine when asked why he thought “Scandoval” captured the attention of media outlets. “But I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?” Sandoval, 40, apologized for the “inappropriate and ignorant” remarks.