Wendy Williams Being Forced To Take A Hiatus Is A Reminder To Take Care Of You
It's 2018 and Wendy Williams hasn't had a break since the 90's. Let that sink in.
You would think someone with a tax bracket like Wendy Williams would be able to afford a break every now and again. But, as the 53-year-old talk show host recently revealed, that isn't always the case.
Especially not her own.
Yesterday, Wendy Williams took to her show to announce that not only has she not had a day off in 25 years, but that she's also battling Graves' disease, and per doctor's orders, she has to take time off.
"My doctor has prescribed - are you ready? As of today, three weeks of vacation. I'll be back in two. I'm not an heiress - who is going to pay my bills? Are you serious? I'm just saying, I come from working class."
The autoimmune disease, which affects the the thyroid, often includes symptoms such as anxiety, hand tremors, heat sensitivity, weight loss, puffy eyes, and more. And although Wendy didn't confirm or deny that her on-air fainting incident from October was a result of Graves', the symptoms do seem eerily similar.
What Wendy's confession did prove is that our income is relative to our expenses, and how we're living is based on what we make for a living. Long story short, mo' money, mo' bills, mo' problems. And although Wendy is part of the upper-class now, it's clearly difficult for her to shake her working-class approach to her fear of going broke.
But Wendy isn't the only successful media-personality who fears a loss in fortune and how it impacts family. Back in 2015, The Real's Jeannie Mai opened up about her fear of going broke after witnessing her father eating scraps out the kitchen garbage.
"The fear of not being able to take care of my family weighs very heavy on my heart. So much sometimes it gets in the way of me and my husband, it keeps me back from being able to spend a little more comfortably for myself. Because my parents immigrated here a couple years before I was born so we didn't have anything.
"I distinctly remember this time when my dad got laid off from his job but he didn't tell us, so I was going past the school office and I saw my dad talking to the administrators about getting a job as a janitor... I remember a couple days a week he would buy Popeye's chicken and he'd bring it home for us, and he would never eat with us, he'd say, 'You guys eat. I'm not hungry. I already ate lunch.' And I was like, 'Okay.' So we'd eat all the chicken.
"That night you guys, I went out for a glass of water after I went to bed, and I saw my dad going through the trash and taking out some of the- (cries) taking out some of the chicken. And I couldn't watch. Because I was basically seeing my dad go through the trash, you know?"
How heartbreaking. It's easy to understand how one could be traumatized from witnessing such a thing.
However, as Wendy advises, although ambition is not wrong, balance is the key. After revealing her diagnosis, the host went on to give a word of advice for all women, warning them of the dangers of overworking and how it's not always worth it.
"What I want to say to women, more than men, is stop putting everyone first because if we're not good, they're not good."
When it comes to most industries, as women of color, our fight for a seat at the table is far different from that of the White, Black or any man for that matter. Truth be told, once we battle both tooth and nail to be considered in the big leagues, we have a natural fear of losing our spot. And that worry is bigger than losing the money to buy a bag, but rather, the money we use to pay our bills and that of our families.
Listen, we get it, girls just wanna have funds. But as Wendy Williams proved, sometimes the cost of being a boss is never having a day off. And unfortunately, the price we pay is our life. But as we learned here — a promotion in wealth is not worth a demotion in health.
You're no good to anyone unless you're good to yourself first.
Exhaustion and illness doesn't discriminate. Neither does time. So cash in on your vacation hours and take a break while you still can.
We're wishing Wendy a speedy a much-needed recovery.
Featured image by Robyn Michele Beauty via Wendy Williams/Instagram
- Wendy Williams announces show hiatus due to Graves' disease - CNN ›
- Wendy Williams Diagnosed with Graves' Disease | PEOPLE.com ›
- Wendy Williams diagnosed with Graves' disease, taking hiatus from ... ›
- Wendy Williams Reveals Graves' Disease Diagnosis | E! News ›
- Wendy Williams To Take Hiatus After Graves' Disease Diagnosis ... ›
- Wendy Williams ordered to take three weeks off for Graves Disease ... ›
- Wendy Williams Reveals Graves' Disease Diagnosis ›
- Wendy Williams Goes on 3-Week Hiatus Over Graves' Disease ... ›
A modest goddess who keeps it humble between mumbles. I'm a journalism graduate with a HERstory in digital media, print and radio. Roll the credits: Power 96, VH1, xoNecole, EBONY, SOHH. Deemed "Top 20 Women in Media" by Power 105. Bronx made me, Broward raised me.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
ItGirl In Motion: DonYé Taylor Asked Herself This Question When Creating Her Brainchild
"Being an 'ItGirl' is all about being yourself and taking all of the elements that make you who you are and displaying them at your highest capability," creative brainiac DonYé Taylor says in the introduction of the limited video series, "ItGirl In Motion."
In partnership with Hyundai, xoNecole has unveiled the limited series in conjunction with our inaugural ItGirl 100 list. The list boasts 100 Black women who not only innovate and take up space when it comes to putting on for their cities, but also as the driving force behind brands that create impact for the culture. ItGirl DonYé Taylor is one of the 100 featured ladies who put her purpose into action.
ITGIRL IN MOTION with DONYE TAYLORwww.youtube.com
As a marketing consultant, content creator, and CEO, a driving force behind DonYé's ambitions has been to show others how she sees the world by "creating art and doing things that shift perspective." In founding her brainchild, Nüclei, which is coincidentally also home to the ever-so-chic chrome brain piggybank, DonYé briefly touched on the inspiration behind the brand. "I was like, 'What would it look like if I were to be of service to myself?' And that's what made me create Nuclei," she said.
Watch the video above to take a peek into the life of the LA-based ItGirl, the importance of Black women receiving our "flowers" while we're here, and the three things she believes are absolutely essential to any ItGirl.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of DonYé and our partnership with Hyundai.
CREDITS
Director: Mikkoh @mikkoh
Production Company: @30inthemorning
AD/Gimbal Op: @jeffreyrattanong
DP: @jucelandrin_
Editor: @30inthemorning
1st AC: Bonnie Delgado @bonniebellevue
2nd AC: Liz Robles @lizfatimarobles
FPV Drone Op: Kai Kevin Goh @kaivertigoh
Gaffer: Nelson Nguyen @nelson_ftw
Key Grip: Ames Hoang @mangothemaker
SLT: Jamon Tolbert @jamon.tolbert
Sound Mixer: Deyo Forteza @introducingdeyo
PA: Breyona Holt @exquisite_eye
PA: Aminah Muhammad @aminahmuhamm
BTS: Marika Belamarich @marikarosegold
Featured image by Marika Belamarich for xoNecole