One day after Entertainment Weekly exclusively broke news of the details surrounding media icon Wendy Williams‘ “heartbreaking” pretaped Thursday afternoon interview with the ladies of The View, the talk show aired the discussion in full on Friday, highlighting the 60-year-old’s impassioned criticism amid her ongoing conservatorship battle against legal guardian Sabrina Morrissey.

Joining the discussion by phone, Williams told the panel during the pre-recorded session — moderated by Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, and Alyssa Farah Griffin — that her hospital visit earlier this week was her own decision, and included an independent psychiatric evaluation and bloodwork for her thyroid condition. “Where I live, at this memory unit on this floor, I just needed a breath of fresh air. I needed to see the doctors, so, that’s why I went to the hospital,” Williams said, after the New York Post reported earlier this week that Williams threw a handwritten note from her window, reading, “Help! Wendy!!” The note reportedly led to police conducting a wellness check.

“It was my choice to get an independent evaluation on my incapacitation, which I don’t have it,” Williams told the cohosts. “How dare they say I have incapacitation. I do not.”

Hostin, who has known Williams for years and previously worked with her as her self-described “legal” during Williams’ days hosting her legendary New York City radio show, thanked her longtime friend for supporting her earlier in her career. Hostin then asked Williams how she keeps her “spirits up,” though Williams hesitated to speculate on her future in media amid her current conservatorship struggle.

During the appearance — which Williams made alongside Ginalisa Monterroso of the Connect Care Advisory Group — she did, however, criticize Morrissey and the judge overseeing her case.

“I’m a global, international media person, from radio to television. I’ve been doing important things all of my life, and these two people don’t look like me, they don’t dress like me, they don’t talk like me, they don’t act like me, and I venture to say they will never be me,” Williams said. “I need them to, you know, get off my neck. I can’t do it with these two people again. I can’t. And I’m speaking of the guardian and the judge. I need a new guardian. By the way, it’s because I need a new guardian, and then I’ll get out of a guardian.”

A representative for Morrissey didn’t immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.

Griffin also asked Williams about her past struggles with substance abuse, to which Williams responded: “I’m easily going on with my life alcohol-free.”

Hostin then inquired about Williams’ famous purple chair from her Wendy Williams Show TV series, and Williams revealed that the iconic piece of furniture is “in storage” for the time being, alongside her clothing, sneakers, and handbags.

“Yes, the fabulous purple chair is in storage, but when it comes out of storage I’m keeping it with me for my life,” Williams added. “It’ll definitely be with me in my new apartment!”

Speaking to EW moments after Thursday’s taping at ABC Studio B in Manhattan, the View audience members — New York City drag queen Kiki Ball-Change and friend Tamara Rotela — revealed behind-the-scenes moments from the taping, including their assessment of Williams.

“I’d say, for the most part, she sounded pretty normal. She doesn’t sound anywhere near needing any sort of guardianship,” Kiki told EW, later adding: “It was really heartbreaking, which was something I wasn’t expecting.”

Kiki also recounted an instance between takes that reportedly saw Williams and Behar trying to make plans to see each other outside of the show, though Kiki said Williams told Behar that she couldn’t accept phone calls from outsiders, and that she would have to get the comedian’s phone number so she could call on her own.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Williams was diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 2018, though concerns over her health arose in February 2024 when she was reportedly diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. It was later revealed that she was under a conservatorship, with her legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, claiming that Williams was “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated.” 

Williams has since spoken out from inside her facility, calling her situation “emotional abuse” and comparing her life to “prison,” and further alleging that she was misdiagnosed and doesn’t have dementia.

The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on ABC.