Wendy Williams is being praised online by fans who claim the opinionated talk show host had been warning the world about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ alleged crimes for years.
Williams, 60, began trending on X, formerly Twitter, following news that the disgraced rapper had been denied bail amid ongoing sex trafficking and racketeering charges, prompting fans to mourn the loss of her Hot Topics segment, in which she discussed the latest Hollywood news on The Wendy Williams Show.
Williams had criticised the music mogul, 54, during her career as a radio and TV presenter, with fans arguing she had been one of the few stars to speak out against his alleged antics “for decades”.
“Wendy Williams told us about Diddy decades ago,” wrote one X user. “The streets have been talking about it for a long time.”
Another agreed: “Wendy Williams has been telling them about Diddy for years.”
Fans of Wendy Williams claimed the opinionated talk show host had been warning the world about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ alleged crimes “for decades.”
Combs, 54, was arrested Monday night in New York City following a grand jury indictment on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
The Wendy Williams Show aired its final episode in June 2022 after 13 years, with no appearances by Williams herself.
He previously retired from the show in 2021 and embarked on what was initially supposed to be a temporary leave of absence to deal with health issues.
Some fans joked that if the star was still on air, he would have highlighted the fact that his warnings had been accurate.
One fan tweeted: “She would have dedicated every hot topic to Diddy while sipping her tea and giving us the side eye after throwing shade and saying ‘I told you so.'”
Another added: “That lady in her purple chair would have given us the right CONTENT with a hint of “I told you so.”
“Don’t forget that Wendy Williams told us exactly who Sean Combs was in 1998. 26 years ago!” read another comment.
One fan wrote: “I really miss Aunt Wendy Williams on days like today. No one talked about hot topics like her. No one. I can almost hear her talking about Puffy (Diddy) and telling us that she told us so.”
“Because she always knew and tried to tell us many times. I hope she’s better.”
Williams began trending on X, formerly Twitter, following news that the disgraced rapper had been denied bail.
Fans of the talk show host are desperate to hear her response to the charges against Combs and the numerous lawsuits that have been filed over the past year.
Combs went to jail Tuesday to await trial in his federal sex trafficking case after a magistrate judge ordered him held without bail in a case that accuses him of presiding over a sordid sex crimes empire.
The music mogul has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and sex trafficking charges. He is accused of inducing female victims and male sex workers to engage in drugged sex acts, sometimes lasting several days, called “freak offs.”
The indictment against him also alleges that he coerced and abused women for years while using blackmail and shocking acts of violence to keep his victims in line.
He was indirectly referring to an attack on his ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, which was captured on video and caused a stir after it was posted in May.
More fans expressed their regret that Williams would not share her opinion on Diddy’s legal troubles. One wrote: “Wendy Williams would have spent an entire hour talking about Diddy and his mess. God I miss her. Hope she’s okay.”
Another said: “I wish Wendy Williams was still on TV when Diddy got arrested. She would have walked up on stage and stared at us for a whole minute like…”
“There’s only one person who can truly explain the ins and outs of @Diddy’s arrest. That’s Wendy Williams!” one fan said.
Many fans expressed regret that Williams would not share her opinions on Diddy’s ongoing legal troubles.
The Wendy Williams Show aired its final episode in June 2022 after 13 years on air, without the eponymous host (pictured in 2020)
Another joked: ‘Today’s episode of Wendy Williams would have been the highest rated episode ever!’
One fan said: ‘This Diddy saga needs Wendy Williams in her purple chair and her hot topics.’
Another wrote: “I miss Wendy Williams and hope she’s okay. Her show would have been so good during this Diddy takedown era…”
One fan added: “I really wish Wendy Williams still had a show because the celebrity drama that’s gone on this year alone… IS INSANE. She would have had so much fun with this Diddy shit.”
Elsewhere, one X user imagines what Williams might say as he mused: ‘Wendy Williams this morning, if she was still in CLAP, IF YOU THINK DIDDY DID IT.’
While another simply hoped the star was healthy enough to know what was going on, writing: “Hope Wendy Williams knows what’s going on with Diddy today.”
Last year, it was reported that Williams had checked into a wellness facility, before a documentary titled Where Is Wendy Williams? revealed the extent of her health and financial problems.
The project, which aired in February, was meant to explore Williams’ life as she prepared to launch a new podcast, but featured shocking scenes showing the former host drinking vodka in bed, being under financial guardianship and having panic attacks, sparking a backlash from fans against the network.
Last year, Combs quickly settled a lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in which she claimed he engaged in sex trafficking and abused her.
However, the mogul was arrested while staying at the Park Hyatt in midtown Manhattan this week amid his federal sex trafficking case.
This week it was revealed that Williams “only received $82,000” for the controversial Lifetime documentary.
Separately, Combs was a guest on The Wendy Williams Show in June 2017, where he spoke candidly about fatherhood and his love life, before choosing to praise Williams despite their long-standing tensions.
Diddy said: ‘I gotta say it’s been a long road, but I just wanna say how proud I am of you because I don’t think people really understand that you were the first one to really cover hip hop culture.
“You started to shed light on our culture and our people, so thank you very much.”
Williams responded: “And with that in mind, I know I’ve made a lot of people angry, including you, but this is a full circle moment for everyone.”
Diddy has been a major figure in the hip hop industry for the past three decades, having worked as a producer for artists such as Usher and Notorious BIG.