Wendy Williams guardianship case stirs push for new law
Wendy Williams is proving how badly the laws need to be changed so that family members can see their loved ones. “We’ve all seen the images over the last few months — and, really, few years — of what has seemed like a spiral for my aunt,” Williams’ niece Alex Finnie told People magazine.
Finnie, who also appears in the new Lifetime documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?” said, “It was shocking and heartbreaking to see her in this state.”
A court-appointed legal guardian is the only person who has unfettered access to Williams, who’s said to be afflicted with aphasia and dementia.
“The people who love her cannot see her,” says Wendy’s sister and Alex’s mom Wanda, 65. “I think the big is: How the hell did we get here?”
Writer and businesswoman Christine Montanti, who says she has been blocked from seeing her mother for six years, is campaigning to change the laws in New York.
“When a dispute arises, the court appoints a guardian who aligns with the family member with the most money,” Montanti told me.
“My mom Karilyn has been pleading to go to court, but we can’t. The court system is susceptible to abuse.”
Montanti will hold a press conference at The Mark Hotel on Feb. 28 to urge the passage of Karilyn’s Law with its sponsor state Sen. Anthony Palumbo.
“This bill will help to reunite families and stop the abusive practice of wrongfully denying visitation,” said Palumbo, who will be joined by co-sponsor Assemblyman Fred Thiele.
Montanti said, “A court-appointed guardian can now block a family member from seeing their incapacitated relative. I’m denied due process and so is my mom.”
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Veteran scribe Anthony Mancini, former director of the journalism program of Brooklyn College, launched his eighth novel “Ashes” at the Columbus Citizens Foundation’s HQ last week.
During a talk, Mancini reflected on his journalism career. “I didn’t have any scoops to rival the Pentagon Papers,” he said. “But one story I did get was breaking the news that it was porn star Marilyn Chambers who was pictured holding a baby on boxes of Ivory Soap.”
The news caused an outcry and led to Procter & Gamble dropping Chambers from the soap campaign.
Quipped “Cocktail” screenwriter Heywood Gould, whose book imprint Tolmitch Press is publishing Mancini’s latest tome: “That was a bigger story than the Pentagon Papers!”
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Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — whom pundits say is eyeing a return to politics as New York mayor — has been spotted at high-profile events around town at an aggressive clip the last few weeks.
Spies report he was backstage with his buddy Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden, while others spotted him courtside for the Knicks and at the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler show.
Others say he’s become a regular at the Regency, taking numerous meals there each week with a range of New York bigwigs.
It’s a schedule that would seem to fit with a politician preparing to come out of retirement.
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Harry Waters, son of rock star Roger Waters, said he started a Pink Floyd tribute band after being fired by his father with no explanation.
When Harry appeared on the SDR Show with Ralph Sutton, there were strict instructions from the PR rep: “Do not ask Harry about Roger.” Sounds like someone got a strict talking to by his dad.
Roger is known for his radical views and was recently dropped by his record label following accusations of antisemitism. Sutton held off, but did ask towards the end, “I’m guessing there’s a strict rule that you don’t discuss politics at family get-togethers.”
In what could be considered an understatement, Harry responded, “Yeah, we tend not to now.” l
Artist Hunt Slonem — whose iconic neo-expressionist paintings of bunnies are popular among celebrity collectors including Kris Jenner and Sharon Stone — launched his first-ever NFT collection “The Hunt Slonem Experience” with a private cocktail party at his 40,000 square-foot Midtown studio.
The event was co-hosted by Zain Talyarkhan, CEO of Notable.art, who worked with Slonem to create and sell the collection. Over 200 of Slonem’s closest friends attended, including Brooke Shields, Anna Rothschild, and Oksana Lada.
They enjoyed the artist’s bird aviary while sipping champagne and snacking on — at the artist’s request — pigs in a blanket.
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The Palm Beach arts scene was out in full force as Aktion Art hosted a reception for “Sans Titre” in collaboration with Wynn Fine Art and Charles Riva Collection.
Palm Beach collectors and young socialites packed the Worth Ave. gallery as guests jostled to peruse blue chip works of art by George Condo, Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell and Richard Prince.
Steve and Andrea Wynn, Jane Holzer, Belinda Stronack, Lisa Cohen and Beth Rudin DeWoody then dined at Bilboquet.
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Kenny Schachter, who could have been a journalist if he hadn’t become an art dealer, reports that some of the oil wealth in the Mideast is buying European art.
The very observant Schachter writes in ArtNet.com about a photo posted on Instagram by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin
Jaber al-Thani, the former prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar, showing some pricey paintings on the walls “in his country’s equivalent of the White House Situation Room.”
Behind Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani — “another former prime minister and father of the present emir” — and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian National Authority, “you can spot in the room Miró’s 1927 ‘Peinture (Le cheval de cirque),’ which sold in 2007 for $8.44 million, and Magritte’s 1955 Le Banquet, which went in 2017 for $13.6 million, both at Sotheby’s.”
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Upper West Side mom Felicia Madison looks like she stepped out of a Ralph Lauren catalog. But she’s not a model, she’s a standup comedian.
She has a new YouTube special called “Better Than Sex.” It was filmed at her local West Side Comedy Club where she’s also the talent coordinator.
“The special was originally titled ’45 Years A Woman’ to celebrate the anniversary of my bat mitzvah,” she jokes, adding, “It’s hard being a woman in this business but it’s even harder being an older woman. No one is looking for Amy Schumer’s mother.”
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Palm Beach is getting a rebranded luxury magazine. Vivant, formerly known as LUX, will be helmed by former model Margaret Bastick Luce as managing editor and Colleen Guifoile Richmond as editor-in-chief. Vivant will provide a look at luxury — more fun than a look at poverty.
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Out & About: Caitlyn Jenner’s son Brody Jenner and DJ Devin at Sushi by Bou … Vanessa Williams got her hair done by Chaz Dean before heading to London to star in “The Devil Wears Prada.” The show is expected to end up on Broadway … Cher, the Kardashians, and Gwen Stefani are just a few of the VIP homes in the book “Star Style: Interiors of Martyn Lawrence Bullard.” Sylvester Stallone, Dee and Tommy Hilfiger, and Jean Shafiroff were at the designer’s book party at the Colony Hotel … Skincare mavens Rochelle and June Jacobs of Naturally Serious at La Goulue.