Wendy Williams was invited by The Hollywood Reporter for a sit-down interview to talk about the scope of her career.
The very candid pop culture talk host didn’t make it through the interview without shedding a tear. Williams started tearing up when she began to access the magnitude of her flourishing career.
“My sister, who’s older than me, says ‘You’re a hero to a lot of people,'” she said.
When questioned on whether becoming friends with the Kardashians affected the way she reports on them, she made it very clear that she separates business from personal.
“Here’s how I run my business,” she said. “The business side of me. I learned to only count on me and my support staff at the Wendy Show. I’ve reckoned that my show is not celebrity driven at all. When I think about my personal life…it’s me and my son against the world.”
Since this level of celebrity has hit Williams at an older age, she doesn’t respond to the celebrity world the same as she would if she was 25, rushing to every event, she admitted. Now, she prefers to go home and have a relaxing evening instead.
Her biggest influence are her parents, famed talk show host Oprah, and New York shock jock Howard Stern.
She said her parents taught her the personal side of life, such as keeping the “waist snatched”, nails done, and knowing how to do house chores like ironing and cooking. Oprah inspired her as an example of someone who rose out of a challenging situation.
Williams also talked about the fact that she prefers and needs love in her life.
“I’m in love with love,” she told THR. “I want to be in love and that’s the way it is. I need love in my life. I need the comfort of a man. I’m not one of these hip shaking girls “I don’t need a man”, no!”
At one point, many people discounted the show and speculated that it would be canceled. Some sources believed that the influx of new daytime talk shows would muddle the appeal of Williams’ show.
Williams responded, “People are betting on horses that don’t need to be in the same barn as me.”
The Wendy Williams Show is now in its eleventh season and has been renewed through 2020. Executive produced by Williams, Suzanne Bass, and David Perler, the show has delivered over 1,500 episodes since its premiere in 2008.
Williams comes from the world of radio where she was known as a shock jock that “shoots from the hip”. She has inspired several new generation vloggers who also report on pop culture and Hip Hop.
