What Is Graves' Disease? The Truth About Why Wendy Williams Fainted On Her Show

Wendy Williams has long been known for her success as an author and fashion designer, but she's most recognizable for being an outspoken television host. Her popular talk show The Wendy Williams Show has been on for almost ten years and has received multiple Daytime Emmy Awards nominations. The most notable part of Williams' show is her celebrity segment in which Wendy often directly addresses the celebrities she's discussing and offers them advice. 

However, the reason Williams has been in the news lately is for an entirely different reason. The TV host just announced her battle with Graves' Disease. 

What is Graves' Disease?

Graves' Disease is one of the most common thyroid problems and the main cause of hyperthyroidism, which is a condition where the thyroid gland creates excessive hormones. The disorder can be easy to treat as long as it is correctly diagnosed. Graves' disease can go into remission or even go away completely after many months or years with proper treatment, but if it is not treated it can lead to much more serious conditions.

Graves' disease is brought on by both environmental factors and genetics. However, women are more likely to have this disease than men and eye problems are one of the most noticeable symptoms of Graves' disease.

Williams' fans started noticing that something may have been wrong with her after she fainted twice on her show. Williams first sent fans into a panic when she fainted on live television back in November 2017. The video became viral after Williams collapsed in front of her live audience on her Halloween episode. The second instance was on a more recent episode when Williams lost her balance during the closing credits of her show.

Williams has stated that this is the reason why she initially discovered that there was something wrong. Her viewers noticed the symptoms in her eye and Williams affirmed this on her show. "You caught it before I did," she said. "Grave disease squeezes the muscles behind your eyeballs." 

Williams also admitted that she canceled a doctor's appointment in December due to a work commitment. She then urged her female viewers to always put their health first and take care of themselves. "So what I want to say to women, more than men, is stop putting everyone first," she said. 'Cause if we're not good, they're not good."

Williams will be taking a few weeks off from her show to rest and take care of her condition as per her doctor's orders. The tv show host seems to still be staying in good spirits. On her show, she told fans that, "I'll be back in two. I'm not an heiress. Who's gonna pay my bills?" She then thanked her fans for supporting her through this in an Instagram post.

We're wishing Williams the best on her recovery and we hope that she'll be back on air soon in all her candid gloriousness. 

Sloane Solomon is a professional writer and editor. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelors in English Writing. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her daydreaming in French about coffee, online shopping, travel, and baby animals.