Talkshow host Wendy Williams addressed the scary incident on Halloween when she collapsed during a live broadcast of her show.
On Oct. 31, the host celebrated Halloween by dressing up in an elaborate Statue of Liberty costume when she suddenly passed out in front of her studio audience and viewers at home. The broadcast quickly cut to commercial and when it returned, Williams explained that she “overheated” due to the costume and fainted.
Williams addressed the incident on Tuesday.
“First of all, I was trending all day, fabulous,” she joked before taking a serious tone. “But a lot of people thought that was a joke, me fainting on my set. No, that was a not a joke. No, I don’t want to fall. I’m a tall woman, and it’s a long way down. I’m also a woman of a particular age, and I’m not trying to break anything. And also I don’t do stunts and jokes for you like that. I don’t need that.”
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Williams said that she was being briefed by a producer during a commercial break when she began to feel “hot and a little dizzy.”
“So we come back from the break, I heard nothing that (the producer) said I immediately go to the teleprompter … and that’s when you saw me with the eyes,” she said.
Williams choked back tears and continued, “It was scary. It was really scary. It was so scary, all I could think of in the middle of the scare was, ‘Don’t pull the podium over on you, because that’ll make it worse.’”
Related: Watch: Wendy Williams faints on live TV
Contrary to some speculation on social media, she said she did not have a mini-stroke. She also explained why she could be seen grabbing at her head before she collapsed.
“That was because I promised myself two things,” she said. “First of all, this is never going to happen again. Second of all, if it’s going to go down, it’s got to be as cute as I could make it. So I’m going down with the crown, and I’m not pulling this plexiglass podium to break my bones.”
Her crew told her that she went down “booty first” before rolling onto her back and head.
“I have no headache, no lump on my head. At 53 years old, no aching in my body. I am shocked,” she said.
Williams told the audience that she met with paramedics after the show and they determined she was low on electrolytes.
She also thanked fans for their support. At the end of the show, she said it was because of her co-hosts -- her fans and studio audience -- that she didn’t take Tuesday off. “I will be back tomorrow,” she said.