Wednesday morning, Wendy Williams revealed she will be taking three weeks away from her show while she deals with medical issues connected to Graves' Disease, according to TMZ.
The Wendy Williams Show host shared news about her health with her audience and viewers, announcing that she suffers from Graves' Disease, a disorder that affects the immune system and has plenty of side effects including eyes that bulge slightly forward due to the tightening of muscles behind the eyeballs. Missy Elliot also suffers from the disease. Williams tried to make light of the situation with her usual comedic banter. "I feel like there are birds swimming around my head. You know, like a cartoon?" she said. "Like, constantly high. But not high. But constantly on one."
She went on to say her doctor prescribed time off as a result. During the hiatus, a rep for the show told TMZ that reruns will play in place of her daily live tapings. "Wendy is a true champion and has never missed a day of work. But her health and well-being must be put before all else,” the rep said. “Wendy has been openly dealing with her Graves’ Disease for many years in addition to hyperthyroidism. Yesterday, Wendy’s doctor prescribed a necessary three weeks of rest to get her levels and medication in sync. The show will be in repeats during this unplanned hiatus."
Initially, Williams thought the issues with her eye were as a result of stress, but she learned that she needed some time off after a recent doctor's visit, one she had previously rescheduled to take a business meeting instead, according to People. “I’ll be back in two [weeks]. I’m not an heiress — who is going to pay my bills? Are you serious?" Williams said half-jokingly. "I’m just saying, I come from working class.”
As important as Wendy's show might be to her, the importance of focusing on your health first wasn't lost on her. “What I want to say to women, more than men, is stop putting everyone first because if we’re not good, they’re not good,” she stressed.
