Talk show host Wendy Williams is known for her straightforward and unfiltered nature, especially when it comes to interviewing celebrity guests. Partly due to her plain-spoken and candid interviewing style, Williams was able to easily transition from the airwaves to daytime television and managed to still make quite an impact on listeners, who have since become viewers, everywhere.
With conversations still brewing around the talk show host’s Lifetime movie and documentary which aired this past Saturday, we decided to take a look back at some of Wendy’s career-defining interviews. From the infamous on-air exchange with the late Whitney Houston to an explosive sit-down with Judge Mathis, we’ve put together eight of Wendy Williams’ most talked-about celebrity interviews.
Whitney Houston
This interview arguably goes down in history as one the most infamous to ever hit radio. In 2003, while Wendy was still hosting “The Wendy Williams Experience,” she interviewed the late Whitney Houston, and neither party held back as soon as the interview began. Houston confronted the host about constantly making her a hot topic, and chastised Williams once she asked about the singer’s alleged drug use and parental issues.
Judge Mathis
In 2003, Judge Mathis appeared as a guest on “The Wendy Williams Experience” and held nothing back when it came to confronting the host. He accuses her of partaking in drug-related activity on the spot, and says plainly that he doesn’t let anyone check him. The back-and-forth ensued once Williams brought up the judge’s rumored marital issues.
Omarosa
Who can forget the television sit-down with reality star, Omarosa? The former Celebrity Apprentice contestant appeared on Wendy in 2008 to promote her book, but also managed to throw quite a few jabs within the process (they even physically pull the book from each other at one point). It looks like Williams takes a second to maintain her composure, but reminds Omarosa that she is in fact a guest on her show.
Keke Palmer
When actress Keke Palmer appeared on Wendy, the topic of her and Trey Songz came up, which was apparently discussed as a hot topic on the show before. Palmer responded by saying that she didn’t want to harp on the situation, but also expressed her disappointment with how Williams discussed the matter on her show. “I will say Wendy, I would’ve loved to turn on your show and saw you be a little more compassionate and less accusatory [….] Because the gag is you weren’t there!”
Mariah Carey
When it comes Mariah Carey, also known to some as the Queen of Shade, Williams began the interview with praise and respect, but, eventually, she did not hesitate to ask the singer the usual line of questioning she typically asks of almost all of her guests. This included asking if the star knew of the rumors surrounding rapper Da Brat. The interview eventually came to a somewhat abrupt end.
Foxy Brown
Rapper Foxy Brown appeared on Wendy’s radio show in Philly, and the pair discussed her classic album, Broken Slience. The host tried to pry concerning her relationship with Spragga Benz, to which Foxy kept it short and urged her to move on. Williams even hinted that Brown and Jay-Z had a romantic relationship, which made for an awkward moment in time.
Destiny’s Child
Forgive us because the audio in this video starts off a little shaky, but that doesn’t make it any less unforgettable. In 2000, Williams had the star-studded girl group Destiny’s Child on as guests, and the discussion centered mainly around the drama concerning former member Farrah’s exit, to which Beyonce noted at one point that she was very tired of talking about the situation.
Roseanne Barr
This interview went left once Williams mentioned actress Roseanne Barr’s ex-husband Tom Arnold critiquing the debut of her show at the time. Barr responded with, “I haven’t read it but […] we don’t like to talk about the husbands, now do we, Wendy?” That line alone got a considerable reaction from her studio audience.