Source: SplashNews.com / Splash News
Wendy Williams confirmed the news that her mother Shirley Williams passed away during her talk show on Monday. Despite how close the 56-year-old was to her mom, the host stayed composed while sharing the news, holding in tears and instead, sharing humorous stories about their relationship.
She started the show wearing a chic trench coat dress with her long legs out, long shorts underneath covering her modesty.
“In the name of my mother, because my mother, she’s like, ‘You got ’em, they’re long, you show ’em.’ She also talked me into picking out this outfit today. She’s also died,” she said as the audience stayed silent. “My mom passed away many, many, many, many weeks ago. You know how during corona, during the world topsy-turvy, people starving, people out of jobs, just everybody’s life is something new, and you know how you lose track of the day and date and time? All I know was it was a long time ago.”
Williams didn’t specify what the cause of death was, but she made sure to say that her mom was at peace.
“First of all, she passed away beautiful and peacefully and surrounded by love. She didn’t suffer not one bit,” she said.
“Gone is the best mother, the best girlfriend that a girl could ever have,” she added. “I feel fortunate that I had her in my life all of my 56 years.”
Her mother and father were married for 65 years, and according to the host, her bond with Shirley was more like good girlfriends than mother and daughter. She admitted she was holding it together for for her 20-year-old son, Kevin, Jr.
“I gotta be strong for my son because this is his first death. He does not know death, he’s 20. He does not know death, he does know know anything about this,” she said. “He knows his grandmother has passed away, but he doesn’t know this in his life. So if I get on the phone breaking down and hooping and hollering and rolling around on the ground — I’m Baptist so you know we do all that. Pull out a tambourine, if I do all that to him, then he’s going to be worried about me. And if he worries about me than he’s going to be worried about then his grandfather and his aunt. He’s going to be worried about everybody in the family.”
“I’m giving him the strength he needs,” she added. “It’s not like I don’t cry. I just don’t cry in front of him regarding this particular thing.”
Overall, she said her family is coping well, including her 89-year-old father Thomas. She didn’t break down in her signature plush purple couch because she said Shirley may be technically gone, but she still very much present.
“She’s everywhere,” she said. “First thing I think about in the morning, last thing I think about before I go to sleep.”
As was shared over the weekend, journalist Courtney Brown first publicly announced the news, as Shirley was good friends with Brown’s grandmother.
“One of my granny’s best friends for 83 years passed away…Mrs. Shirley Williams,” she said on Instagram. “Always available for my granny and our family, she flew in to share this beautiful speech at granny’s 100th birthday. Mr and Mrs Williams is truly what the kids now call #CoupleGoals”
“May she rest peacefully and prayers to @wendyshow and the entire family,” she added.
The post has since been deleted.
