Wendy Williams’ Former Attorney Recalls Heated Exchange With Ex-TV Host At Wells Fargo Just Days Before Bank Froze Her Out Of $20 Million Fortune
Wendy Williams’ Former Attorney Recalls Heated Exchange With Ex-TV Host At Wells Fargo Just Days Before Bank Froze Her Out Of $20 Million Fortune
As she struggles with persistent mental health concerns, Wendy Williams has been involved in a number of headline-grabbing disputes, and her former attorney has now joined the list.
LaShawn Thomas — who has since parted ways with Wendy Williams, 58, but continues to represent her ex-husband Kevin Hunter, 49 — recently recalled a heated exchange with the former daytime TV host that happened just days before her Wells Fargo bank accounts were frozen. Wendy Williams‘ son Kevin Jr., 22, was allegedly also present.
The trip to the branch was made for a variety of reasons, including for Kevin Jr. to set up online banking for his mother while she was visiting Florida and for Wendy to get her bank statements, which were being mailed to her New York home.
According to LaShawn Thomas,
“I met Wendy at the Wells Fargo branch. We went into the Wells Fargo branch and we spoke to the branch manager. We told him what was going on. Wendy said she wanted to get access to the accounts.”
In response, the bank manager said,
“‘Well, we don’t do that in the retail branch. That’s the Wells Fargo advisors, let me see if I can get somebody on the line.'”
From there, according to LaShawn Thomas,
“He called [Wendy’s longtime financial adviser] Lori. He went into another room and had a conversation with Lori and came out. He said Lori was willing to talk to Wendy, but that she doesn’t want anybody else in the room when she talks to Wendy. So Wendy said, ‘No, why can’t she talk to me with my attorney, I can understand if my son has to leave out of the room, but I want to keep my attorney here.’ And Lori said ‘No, I want to talk to Wendy alone,’ and if Wendy doesn’t want to talk to her alone, Lori wouldn’t talk to Wendy.”
In the end, the trio made a blank trip to the bank, as they left empty-handed.
LaShawn has since issued a statement on the matter via Instagram. She said,
“I would never stand by and watch my client be taken advantage of so they did everything to get me out of the picture including threatening to report me to the Florida bar if I communicate with my client. Their goal was to get Wendy back to New York to control her when Wendy was doing well in Florida with her son. She was on the mend, seeing her doctors every day, exercising and having coherent conversations. The person you see today is vastly different from the person you saw in videos in Florida.”
She continued,
“She has been isolated and I’ve done everything in my power to assist her. I have been impeded in my attempts to communicate with Wendy by the court. They don’t want us to see a healthy Wendy hence the court’s threats to sanction me if I spoke to the media or Wendy.”
As previously reported, Wendy‘s bank account was frozen by Wells Fargo in January due to suspicions of the famed host being subjected to “financial exploitation, dementia, or undue influence.” In claims she has refuted, Wendy has been classified by the bank as a “incapacitated person” who requires guardianship.
LaShawn previously explained how Wells Fargo was able to freeze the former TV host’s accounts. She said,
“Basically, what Wells Fargo is using is a rule that was promulgated by an organization called [the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority] FINRA and under that rule, it grants Wells Fargo the right to suspend a transaction in the event they deem that the transaction is of suspicious nature or they feel that the individual who is conducting the transaction is doing so against their will.”
Wendy doesn’t appear to be any closer to being able to access her reported $20 million fortune or her American Express card.
What are your thoughts on the entire situation? Let us know in the comments!
[VIA]