Month: July 2025

Wendy Williams stepped out in style for a rare public appearance Tuesday (July 18) in New York City, celebrating her 61st birthday with close friends and family at the upscale Tucci restaurant while continuing to fight for control over her life.

Dressed in a short animal-print dress paired with white sneakers, oversized sunglasses and her signature pink-purple lipstick, the former daytime TV host looked confident and upbeat as she enjoyed dinner surrounded by longtime allies.

A birthday cake was brought to the table as the group sang “Happy Birthday,” capturing a moment of joy for someone who’s largely stayed out of the spotlight in recent years.

Among those at the intimate gathering were restaurant owner Max Tucci, former show producer Suzanne Bass, and her niece Alex Finnie, an anchor at ABC Miami.

Bass posted a video from the dinner on social media, writing, “We laughed we cried and boy did we eat… and eat and eat… we love you wendy.”

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Finne shared a video of Williams blowing out her candles, captioned simply, “61 and fabulous… We love you #FreeWendy”

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The celebration marked one of her few public outings since being placed under court-ordered guardianship in May 2022 due to health concerns related to frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia.

Williams has been vocal about her desire to end the guardianship, calling it restrictive and likening it to incarceration.

“Isolated,” “unable to go out,” and unable to make basic decisions, she has said her ultimate birthday wish is to be “freed from guardianship.”

Her niece and son have publicly supported her efforts to regain independence, joining supporters in organizing #FreeWendy rallies in both New York and Los Angeles.

Williams maintains she is mentally fit, claiming she has passed recent cognitive evaluations and is capable of managing her own affairs.

Her court-appointed guardian, Sabrina E. Morrissey, has argued otherwise. She insists Williams is “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled and legally incapacitated.”

The dispute continues to play out both in court and in public opinion, drawing comparisons to Britney Spears’ high-profile conservatorship case.

Williams remains in a wellness facility in New York City, where she continues to receive care. 

​AllHipHop

Raekwon says his cannabis venture in Newark never had a fair shot, claiming he and his team were “hoodwinked” by their landlord after a judge ordered the closure of his dispensary, HashStoria, over more than $500,000 in unpaid rent and fees.

The ruling came down after BMHC LLC, the property owner, filed suit alleging months of missed payments.

However, Raekwon’s crew says there’s more to the story. They argue they had a verbal agreement to pause or adjust rent payments during extended construction delays and permitting issues tied to the City of Newark, which left the business unable to generate income.

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“We were hoodwinked, and while it’s a very sad outcome, we will have our day in court,” Raekwon told TMZ Hip Hop.

According to HashStoria representatives, the landlord not only ignored their rent arrangement but also allowed an unlicensed dispensary to operate next door.

That illegal shop, they say, attracted repeated police raids and damaged the reputation of their legal business, which had branded itself as “Legal AF” to make its compliance clear.

The team behind HashStoria, which marketed itself as a Black-owned business, says they faced constant regulatory hurdles that others in the market didn’t have to navigate.

Despite the eviction, Raekwon plans to take action against the landlord for allegedly misleading and damaging the business.

Meanwhile, BMHC LLC insists they gave HashStoria ample time to catch up on rent following the dispensary’s grand opening and are now looking for new tenants to fill the space.

Raekwon Returns With New Album

Raekwon’s legal battle comes just as he dropped his first solo album in eight years.

The Emperor’s New Clothes was released Friday (July 18) through Mass Appeal and features appearances from Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Nas, Conway the Machine, Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, Inspectah Deck and Marsha Ambrosius.

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The project is part of Mass Appeal’s 2025 “Legend Has It…” series, which also includes new music from Nas, Mobb Deep, Ghostface Killah, De La Soul and Big L.

​AllHipHop