executive produced by Williams herself.
Finnie told “GMA” she asked her aunt why she wanted to do the documentary, which would touch on her health struggles, and if it was the right time.
“And she said, ‘Now is the perfect time because I wanna take ownership of my story,'” Finnie recalled.
But the film is already embattled in a lawsuit.
While speaking to PEOPLE for this week’s cover story about Williams, Mark Ford, the executive producer of the documentary, said that “Wendy’s attorneys and the guardianship attorneys were consulted and signed off on” the project.
“The film was signed off on by Wendy, her management, her attorneys, the guardianship,” he said. “They were aware of the filming all the way through. So, we did go by the book and get all the permissions that we needed to get. We went into this film thinking it was one thing, and the truth turned out to be another. Once we started seeing the truth of the situation, we couldn’t ignore it. And the film had to go in the direction of the truth.”
Williams claims in the documentary that her guardian, whose identity remains private in the film, has stolen money from her. Filmmakers say she didn’t provide evidence.
When the Lifetime documentary crew began filming in August 2022, it set out to follow Williams’ comeback as she prepared to launch a new podcast. The film quickly evolved into something entirely different, as the crew captured Williams in the throes of alcohol addiction and struggles with health issues including Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that can cause bulging eyes, and lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling in her feet.