“I won’t change my voice, I can’t change my confidence.” – Wendy Williams

Checkout this week’s new episode of the #NoLimitsPodcast featuring TV Host, Wendy Williams:

On today’s episode, that voice. You heard it in our intro bite – clearly the one and only, Wendy Williams. Wendy started off in radio. So this interview, it kind of brings the whole thing full circle. Today she has one of the most popular daytime talk shows on TV. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing – throughout her career she had to make a lot of tough decisions, and she turned down some really major opportunities by choosing to stay true to herself. So how did she take a 6 week preview, a show that ran for 6 weeks and turn it into a hit show that’s been nominated for multiple Emmy awards? We met up with Wendy at her studios in Manhattan and here she is to tell her story.

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RJ: Wendy Williams, welcome to No Limits!

WW: Thank you! How you doing Rebecca?

RJ: I feel like if I said ‘how you doing Wendy?’ I’d sound like an idiot.

WW: Why? It’s a virus. It spreads.

RJ: It is a virus. How you doing?

WW: How you doing?

RJ: Thank you for having us to your offices.

WW: Thank you.

RJ: I love what you’ve done with the place. This is your office/den…

WW: Thank you. I call this my one bedroom apartment. This is actually-this is my office and I have a bathroom right over there with a shower and stuff. So I figure this is like a one bedroom, this is like a studio in New York, you know?

RJ: Yes. This is nicer than a lot of the studios I have been in.

WW: Exactly. And then hair, makeup, and wardrobe are right over there as well. So it’s all in one.

RJ: We’ll post pictures on Instagram so people can see. Do you have a favorite thing?

WW: My marlin.

RJ: Your bedazzled marlin.

WW: Yeah. A guy gave that to me who didn’t even- I mean he was a listener from the radio. I still haven’t met him his name was Kevin McCue and when our show was just a whisper, a six week sneak peak, a trial test—they’re trying me out on TV and he’s up all night be bedazzling and I love art. So I know how long it takes to bedazzle something.

RJ: Yeah.

WW: Never even came to give it to me. Still haven’t met him. I mean if we didn’t make the six week sneak peak, can you imagine what he would say? ‘I stayed up all month. You talentless broad. Why oh why couldn’t you win for the team and do it?’ So this is my favorite because he did it. And I could hang it anywhere at home or whatever but I like to keep it here. I’ve never lost one. Isn’t that fabulous?

RJ: I love that. There’s such a connection that your fans and viewers have to you. What would a 6 year old Wendy say about her life now? What would be the biggest surprise?

WW: I made it. I mean look, a lot of people’s version of “making it” is a lot grander, or maybe simpler but for me. Wow. You lost the weight. Your teeth are no longer crooked. You know you turned the world on. You made it on your own terms. You know, I mean you bend a bit to be a daytime sweetheart. But after all these years on TV I can only be who I am. I’m very comfortable out on the floor and that’s what I would tell my younger self. Like wow. Hang on. This is a dream. It’s still a dream.

RJ: Talk about the bending part because I look at somebody like you, I cannot even fathom that anywhere in your life you would bend to the will of someone else.

WW: Oh please! Some of those costumes I wear out there on the floor these days were not so permissible in my season 1 or my 6 week sneak peak while- because you know I was popular here in New York. You know I’ve had over a 30 year broadcast career and I understood that. The popularity of me being like a juggernaut here in New York and on the radio is the reason that I was given the opportunity for the six weeks sneak peak. I was also a syndicated personality mildly, you know. But you just can’t win the space by only appealing to black people. And that’s what my original base was that I’m a black woman. I did urban radio and whatnot. And before you knew it, I had some a lot of white listeners and so on and so forth. But when you do daytime talk- which is different than night time, you know I have to keep saying daytime talk

RJ: How is it…Explain how it’s different. How would you approach the two differently?

WW: On night time, I could tell you exactly how I feel right now. On daytime when you’re trying to win, you know, that nice household who doesn’t exactly know a bunch of people of color but you want her vote and she has a coffee in the morning when you come on at 10:00. You want her vote so I can’t give it to her good. Not right away. I’ve got to pull her in gently, pull her in gently, you know, pull down my skirt, cover up the cleavage. Maybe don’t give it to her good right away. And almost ten years later she gets who I am. She’s loving it and she’s watching and maybe I pulled something out of her personality.

RJ: Yeah.

WW: You know like wow ‘I never knew a woman like this before. I love that Wendy.’ So there are a lot of things that you have to adjust for a daytime position and to stay particularly when you’re black and big. Oh please. I know my boobs were the back bone of contention also. You know how we cover those up. What do we do…

RJ: There were conversations about this behind the scenes?

WW: Behind my back behind the scenes.

RJ: Really.

WW: Oh please, I know all.

RJ: How did that not get in your head?

WW: Because here’s the deal, you’re going to love ‘em and we’re going to all fight together to stay. And one day I’ll be able to say I told you so just by making them more pronounced when I sit. Same boobs. But it’s just that now it’s like OK they’re still here and so are we.

RJ: That has to feel really great.

WW: Yeah it does. It does. Honestly it does, Rebecca.

RJ: I look- the thing that’s so interesting to me in conversations like this, there is always this sort of push and pull, this tug of war between be 100 percent true to yourself versus there are certain rules that you have to play on some level to gain people’s trust and you’re speaking to that. It’s actually a really complex thing I think because a lot of women have talked here on No Limits about how they realized they were in a wrong place when a boss told them, you have to behave this way and it was totally counter to who they were. But your calculus along the way was ‘in order for me to get to this place where I desperately want to be, I have to sort of let people in like a little by little.

WW: Play a little role, pull everyone just a little at a time until you can finally…Oh god. Wendy you made it! I mean you know from the things that I say, if the lipstick on my teeth I’m like this.

RJ: She’s rubbing her lipstick off her teeth.

WW: I would have never thought- Not that you think to rub lipstick on your teeth. But in Season 1 and 2 of the show, season 3, I would just- and wait for a commercial.

RJ: Right, playing it safe. I think actually in TV I will say this you get more comfortable whether or not you’re told to play as a role or not I in my career have just gotten more comfortable with reality. Like you start out TV and you’re like everything has to be perfect. Everything has to be in the perfect place and when you start to actually play and get comfortable and start saying OK I know how to read a teleprompter. I know how to do, this I know how to do that and you can break the rules… in quotation marks “break the rules,” That’s where the magic happens.

WW: It really is. You know, our show was teleprompt assist and I don’t wear one of those devices in my ear. So when I get out there it’s, you know you’ll have to tell me after the show don’t scream in my ear. I don’t have one of those pieces. And when we were putting the show together all of those things were a factor. Wendy do you want a piece in your- No I don’t want anybody yelling at me. No I don’t want to read a teleprompter but just assist me a lot. And now it’s just a bit of teleprompter just to remind me of my next story of what I’m doing and everything else is me. And it really is comfortable. Listen, Rebecca it was very difficult to try to explain in my head. Because I tried to explain my head to the people who really loved me on radio. Because on radio I was a hellcat.

RJ: Yes.

WW: And now I’m a hellcat on daytime TV. But the people on radio like the first couple of seasons where like ‘Who is this girl. This is not Wendy! Why isn’t she giving it to them good?” They didn’t understand the rules. Listen. The very same people who love me on radio were like ‘You’re corny. You’ve gotten so corny.’

RJ: Did that hurt?

WW: Yeah because they didn’t understand.

RJ: You wanted to explain to them, whisper whisper, guys and girls this is what I got to do.

WW: Well the big deal is is that I wanted the show to last long enough to the point where I could finally speak to people like you and your audience and tell this. This is what it is. You know you’ve got to play a role before you can be the role and even when you are the role don’t force it. You know don’t try to be me because I’m being successful.

RJ: Yes. Don’t try and be another role like be what you are.

WW: Yes.

RJ: And that’s what’s going to make you the most successful.

WW: And for the woman that you were speaking of with the boss who said this is how I want you to act or something like that. Maybe she chose the wrong career. And that happens a lot as well. You know I think it’s very important for women to get behind some sort of mentor person. Study somebody who’s not just doing what you’re doing. Like for instance if there’s a woman who’s listening right now and the woman wants to be the next big broadcaster she wants to be you know Shirleen Allicot on Eyewitness News. You don’t just learn about Shirleen by watching her on the news. You know you’ve got to know the lifestyle of news. There’s a whole lifestyle thing. Because if you are out here popping opioids and smoking weed and living in a nefarious lifestyle then you can’t.

RJ: It is not happening.

WW: Yeah because we need trust in you. See I wanted to be a newscaster and I wanted to be a radio personality I just didn’t know which one I wanted to be. And I got behind a news person and it’s not easy to do. You know you just kind of look like the mouse in the room. I wasn’t an intern or anything like that. But you know I can just say it now because I forget her name. All right. I remember her name. Lovely woman but what a corny woman. What a corny lifestyle. That’s stupid newsgirl hair. This is back in the day. This is back in the day, I am 53 years old.

RJ: Very padded shoulders, colorful suit jackets, and the big hair.

WW: No nails? What? You mean you can’t get your freak on at the club and show up to work even if you’re responsible in your life. The idea of that is not appealing.

RJ: You weren’t willing to make the trade.

WW: No, I knew that I was choosing the wrong career and I knew that radio was the one for me and my parents only had four years of college tuition so I had no time to flunk out or enter as an undecided, undeclared. Are you out of your mind? Who are these people? You better decide before the first day of college.

RJ: You study Communications in college.

WW: Yeah and I minored in Journalism from the first day. None of the undecided mess.

RJ: Did you know… When you started in radio, did you know this is Wendy Williams, this is the personality that people are going to see or did that evolve over time?

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WW: Being comfortable and just and just ended up being me. No. First of all I wasn’t Wendy Williams on the college radio station my name was golden girl.

RJ: Golden girl?

WW: Oh please please please. Oh you know because all radio people they all have these stupid fake names. And so I had just come back from spring break in Daytona. This is back when Daytona was poppin. See, people don’t go to Daytona anymore for spring break. But I just come back from Daytona and I was all tan and stuff and I just gotten my first- You know, I just started with the college radio station when I was up there. But you know you know people who just don’t want to leave and they still are you know they’re still behind the mike but you just graduated two years ago. You get the hell out and make room for an actual student. And so I had my tan, and I’m up there, and the sun in was in my natural hair – this is before I wearing wigs. I had sun in my hair and it was orange like your hair turns when you use sun in.

RJ: Yes. Believe me I’ve done that.

WW: And I said All right. My name is going to be golden girl. Yeah, but no. With my confidence about what I’m doing. It’s all evolved into just Wendy which is great and I hate that it took so long. Kind of sort of but I’m glad that it did. And I hate that there are so many women who are nothing but- and they’re good at it- but you’re nothing but a sidekick to a man. He’s making more money than you, you are ‘and.’ like you know so and so ‘and’ the girl or whatever. I’m not you’re ‘and.’ I’m not sharing the mic with you, I had to play that role for a couple of times. Look I played the role, played the role, shared of the mic, but have the bigger personality which wasn’t forced it’s just that I was.

RJ: I don’t know that that’s a feminine thing or a masculine thing but having the bigger personality it becomes like a competition when you’re sitting there.

WW: Yeah mostly with the men. First of all in a radio studio, the men are driving the train. They’re the ones on the other side pushing the buttons. And I’m sitting on the other side. This is back when I drank coffee, with my coffee and bagels. You know, and nail polish. And magazines and things like that and I’m like maybe, I am a girl and sometimes this is what girls do. And I don’t want to press those buttons anyway. Who wants to pay attention that long? I got my period I got to go change my tampon. We as women want to get up and sit there like I don’t want to do it. So you do it. But I hate- I just, the best part about what we’ve created here at The Wendy Show is that it’s The Wendy Show.

RJ: Did they ever try and take that? Did they early on ever say his should be The Wendy ‘and’ Show.

WW: Bite. Your. Tongue. I am not an ‘and.’ And if that was up for discussion, then I would say find your next person. And I’ve been asked to be a part of ‘and’ situations before leading up to- like I’ve been called about doing talk shows before and the first one that I- a very big company a very big company. They knew that I was very popular here in New York on the radio and syndicated and things like that. And they were putting together a show, a younger one like The View. Right. And so I got—wait that wasn’t my first one. Although, see on The View I wanted to be the Barbara. If I am not the Barbara, then I am not doing this. So I didn’t take that job. Reluctantly, because I really wanted to…. I really want is a talk show. But…

RJ: This is the hard part right?

WW: Yes.

RJ: When you know that there’s something that you want, but you know the situation isn’t exactly what you want.

WW: Right.

RJ: That is a really tough choice.

WW: I know and murder would get me in jail and they don’t allow wigs. And I just want to murder the other three people so I can have the show to myself. And you know, while I can go along to get along and sit at a table with a bunch of people that’s not what I want to do. Then I had another opportunity. This was the very first time, the very first time and I was so green and I was all about you know how you want me to be? How do you want me to act? I was wearing flat front khakis and loafers. Shut your face.

RJ: No way.

WW: Yes.

RJ: Do you have a picture of this?

WW: No.

RJ: Yes you do. No I don’t.

RJ: I want a picture.

WW: No I don’t. Nothing- Because first of all there are no camera phones back then number one. Number two I was so stunned at this whole situation. You know the whole situation that oh my gosh I’m going to have a talk show. OK I have to play this role. There was a particular hairstyle that wanted me to have; above the shoulders. News girl style, and you know and they liked my inflections so you know I guess.

RJ: You have a great voice.

WW: Thank you. But anyway. Anyway, flat front khakis and loafers. And I was going to do it.

RJ: I can’t even picture that.

WW: Yes. And it wasn’t even going to be called The Wendy Williams Show, it was going be called something else. But the best part about having your own show is that you get to keep all the stuff. Now I gotta tell you something this wardrobe budget, when you walk into my wardrobe you are going to see more fancy shoes and red bottoms and Versace and Vernaci and I’m exhausted.

RJ: What is your wardrobe budget?

WW: None of your business.

RJ: I had to ask.

WW: It’s gotten better through the years honestly because I didn’t realize that. I honestly did not realize that my hair, makeup- people pull up to the TV and look at makeup and stuff. Hair, makeup and wardrobe I didn’t realize that they would be costars to the show. I had no idea. All I thought was you know just open the doors and wheel me out there and I’m going to you know inform the people and go home. Why are you staring at me? I grew up a fat kid. So I’m not used to, like I’m not a supermodel. I barely. I barely wanted to be in pictures like as a kid and anybody who’s either tall which you know I’m tall but I also grew up a fat kid you know and the rest of my family is normal size. So the idea of being on camera and being stared at is mortifying. Number one. Mort-if-ying.

RJ: But that is what you dreamed of.

WW: I know but, could you just turn off the camera and just let me talk? Oh wait, that would put me back to radio… No. OK Wendy. Get over yourself. Get over it. I wore so many cardigans at first. Now I’ve lost 50 pounds like I love the me that I am right now.

RJ: You look fantastic.

WW: Thank you. This is it because I know how to disguise things. Like the more bracelets you wear on your wrist, the less people notice your upper arms. Plus there were a lot of cardigans. Say this right here is calmed down a lot. I’m flapping my bat wings. There’s a lot you know. But I don’t want to dress that way all the time. And you know I might be a middle aged woman but I’ve got a fun quirky personality. And when the new sneakers come out, I want them. And I want to wear a short dress with it and I’m going to give it- I want it to sparkle and just all that in my personality. Oh my gosh I got to do something. So I lost the weight and I lost it for my health. You know when you’re 50. Well also in time for my fiftieth birthday because you know the metabolism slows down if you’re not as good as it gets at 50. Oh the metabolism is going to slow down, it’s going to be a pain to take that weight off. So that was my gift to myself to lose that 50 pounds. And in doing so the incredible amount of confidence…Like I walk in here literally in the morning and say what am I wearing today? They always know. Give me three choices: wig. I don’t care which wig – you see the longer the wig- Also I would wear the long wigs that cover my arms, and the meat and I wouldn’t want to have a monitor out there just because I don’t even look at myself while doing it not because I’m ugly, I’m attractive from the neck up. But TV adds a lot of weight. Plus it was already a big one and tall. You know these nice people are coming to interview with me first season. The woman in the Midwest that we were referring to. So not only am I new to her but I stand up to greet, Ripa -because Ripa has been to the show. We’ll just take you know a nice white lady like Kelly Ripa you know she’s only like two feet tall and whatnot. I stand up to greet Ripa with my shoe- with my heels on and everything and my bat wings going and my girth and the boobs. It’s like Godzilla and I hug her. And it’s just the natural thing, you know? So you know Marge in the Midwest is like oh God I think I love this woman or I’m scared of her or why doesn’t she just get, why is she so tall and, wait but I like her cardigan.

RJ: But I love her cardigan wow.

WW: She…I like her skirt. Wait. And so that’s where…

RJ: She’s got spunk.

WW: Yeah. Until the next day. Well now that I’m comfortable, like today I wore something very civilized on the show a nice ruffled dress that came all the way down. It was a wrap dress but of course when I sat down I always unwrap it and give you the thigh. I unwrap it and pull it all the way up. And this is what- they’ve stopped with the signs “Pull your dress down.”

RJ: Oh they had signs like that out?

WW: Yeah you know Doug my floor manager he would come over and say you know pull your dress down. And I acknowledge it. Doug’s telling me to pull my dress down. What are you got a problem in the control room? I’m not showing crotch. As a matter of fact I’m pulling it up even more. You got a problem with this co-hosts? And they love the rebel. They encourage me. The show is just like damn that Wendy and then they’ll yell at my wardrobe stylist probably. I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes all I know is that I’m having the time of my life mostly on my own terms.

RJ: Ten years, a decade goes by you don’t take a day off of work.

WW: Yeah.

RJ: You’re sick.

WW: Well I mean we have a lot of hiatuses and stuff like that you know.

RJ: Sure.

WW: So no need to take off. But yeah no I’ve never had a tickle in my throat. Then all of a sudden oh my gosh hello I can’t come in today because we have that evergreen show, you know we’ve got shows ready to go. But no I’ve never done that. And then yeah.

RJ: And then earlier this year they force it on you.

WW: No, I forced it on me actually.

RJ: You forced it on you.

WW: Yeah, three weeks to check myself. And so, and I will take off when I need to I’m very…You know, it’s one thing to be on TV and having a great time and everything like that. But you know I was neglecting, like most women you know you take care your children, you take care of your husband, you take care of home, I just finished calling cable before you came here. I have an assistant to do that. But you know I can get it done quicker. Let me just do it here. Calling cable you know, when you hit the wrong button on the remote and then all of sudden everything is cattywampus.

RJ: Yes.

WW: I’m on TV but I don’t know how to work the TV and I just need an appointment. So you take care of everybody else and you don’t take care of yourself. And so I will be taking my time off whenever I need to. And but mostly I love being on because we have off so much.

RJ: What was that time like for you? Did your thinking change at all over those three weeks?

WW: Yes. In every way.

RJ: What changed?

WW: Just you know. Well if I told you I’d have to kill you. Because mostly you know of people who’ve taken advantage of me, things I’m involved with that aren’t working for me. People that I don’t necessarily talk to as much as I should. And then I think about why and I’m like yup and this is exactly why. And when she gets home from work I’m going to tell her and then I pull back and I say no I don’t want to be that mean. But mostly you know, reclaiming my life was mostly clearing the clutter. And approaching things head on.

RJ: Saying no to things that you should say no to.

WW: Yes.

RJ: If you’re saying yes to all of these things that come into your life and people- when you’re a public personality you’re going to get asked a million more times and some of that stuff that you get asked to do, it’s valuable. And you want to help people.

WW: Please if there’s an open bar and passed hors d’oeuvres and somebody is asking me to a gala I’m going, you know? And there are going to be fancy people in the room. You know you get invited to all kinds of stuff and people ask you to do all kinds of things, not necessarily the show but through the popularity of the show, the invitations come flying in and I go ‘yes. Oh yes. Oh yes. Oh yes.’ Until it’s like, wait a minute I’m getting out of here at 10:00 at night. I’ve got to be up for five thirty in the morning to do my own show. And you know I only went to the gala because – I was joking about the hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, although that helps. I only went there because there were people there, allegedly, there were people there that were supposed to help me propel my career. Only when I get there, those people are nowhere around or all of a sudden when I get there I’m not sitting at their table you told me I was sitting at their table. I find myself four tables over sitting with some people that can’t do anything for me and I hate-

RJ: And you’re going to have to do something for them.

WW: Yeah yeah yeah. Stop with your ‘how you doings.’ I’m here because I’m trying to propel my career. We all need help. I help people all the time. You know when I see them in the street oh you know you know young girl she wants to be an intern I give her my information you know you want to be an intern well come. You know, you’re not going to be an intern just because I say you have got to pass the intern department. There’s a department for everything. But you know I’m not leaving the house unless there’s a reason. And when I get there I expect the situation to be massaged. Only to find out, and why am I leaving the house? So I say no to a lot of stuff because a lot of stuff is a bunch of smoke.

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RJ: You need a handler.

WW: What is that?

RJ: You don’t know handlers?

WW: What is that? What do they do?

RJ: You’ve got your publicist, you’ve got your handler. They just block everything out that you can’t handle. They handle it for you. It might not be the cable bill although they would definitely help with that. But a lot of it is…You got to take care of yourself.

WW: OK.

RJ: You can’t be the bad guy so someone else can.

WW: Insert fake cigarette and proceed to bigtime Rebecca. I’ve got an assistant. I’ve got two PR firms. I’ve got help at home. I’ve got… Listen. There’s certain things that only I want to do myself. Also I don’t like a lot of people in my business.

RJ: Yeah.

WW: You know you don’t need to know my cable access number. What if you get fired next week you have all this information on me. And what do I need for you making me a doctor’s appointment? You don’t need to know where I’m going to doctor’s when I’m going to doctor’s, I’ll do it myself. The same thing for my husband. I make the appointments, same thing for my son. So there are handlers and I get what you’re saying. But I jumped into the- this particular arena a little late in life. If I was 25 years old and you know how to talk show- you know, remember when Ricki Lake was bouncing around like 24 with her talk show Ricki Lake. Ricki was huge. And at 25, I could not imagine having all the different people around and things like that. My thing is that by the time I landed this talk show, I had already established myself as a as a world class radio personality. I was on the radio also in Germany and anyway I’ve been around. Like a Saturday night special. But everything out of New York- I mean I didn’t live there. But by the time I had you know I had made a certain amount of money I’d already bought a certain amount of property. I’d already birthed my son. I was already married. I wrote, like I know how to write a check. Like some of these people out here, you know they get big time too soon and then they don’t know how to do anything. And so for me by the time I got all this I’m like what. No you don’t, they wanted to pick up my desk. You see my fabulous office? All I do is present the bill. No I’ll pick out the desk. I’ll make the- Because what if you order the wrong thing. There are people to do things and they’re very lovely people. And believe me I’m a headache for the things that I want done. Today is assistant’s day. I don’t think she’d send me a headache though. But anyway-

RJ: What would she say?

WW: She would say well, according to her, she used to listen to me in an insufferable job on her radio when I was on the radio at her desk. And as opposed to hating she’d be like down low laughing at it and everything and trying to figure out how she can become a part. One day she’ll meet me or whatever. I had no idea of this.

RJ: That’s really cool.

WW: Yeah. And you know what, and she works her behind off on national assistant’s day I got her nothing. I got her- well somebody is supposed to remind me it’s assistant’s day. If it is assistant’s day and she is not reminding me – luck out. But she will not be leaving home empty. I gave a nice shout out to all the assistants on TV today. Listen I’m a lovely woman. I am a lovely woman.

RJ: You heard it here first.

WW: Well listen, I believe and Aisha Tyler and I were talking about this yesterday. You know, another tall black girl. She was on The Talk. So she said we were talking about being tall she said yup you scare everybody and so on and so forth. And that’s the thing. With a tall stature, there is intimidation with black skin. And I don’t care what shade of black. I don’t care the shade of black. There is intimidation with a voice that’s not like ‘oh my God’ like I know I have the bomb voice that’s, why you know what I’m saying? And I wish women would get stronger voices. And stop that cutesy thing. This is not going to get you- like I can’t even deal with it. Are you serious talking like this? My mother talks like this and sometimes when I yell at my son I find myself like ‘oh my god I raise it up’. But I have a very intimidating presence and a very diva-like assumption about me. You know. But that’s the kitchen upstairs by the way. Yeah yeah. Very ghetto around here. There’s a kitchen upstairs, they’re moving stuff. In case you hear through the podcast. Look at him go. And there’s nothing you can do about your presence. You know, I can’t change my skin. I won’t change my voice. I can’t change my confidence. And all I can do is pray that you put up with me long enough that you actually begin to get it and then you like me and then you get it. You know?

RJ: I totally know.

WW: But it’s a fight it’s still a fight. Are you serious? It’s still a fight. There are people out there who, everybody doesn’t watch my show.

RJ: But it’s surprising to hear you say it’s still a fight because those who do are real fans of your work.

WW: Yeah.

RJ: When you think about success. Do you have it right now?

WW: Oh yeah.

RJ: OK. So this is it, this is success to you?

WW: Oh yeah yeah yeah I got it.

RJ: And when did you get it? What moment in your life did you say, this is it. I am successful now.

WW: so many times in my career I can’t even tell you. So many times. So many times when I, you know, when I signed my first contract I was making one hundred thousand dollars at one point on my radio. I was like wow this is success. When I you know turn the key to a condo that I purchased, not to live in here in New York. But I had a little extra money in my hooch and I’ve always been really good with money. And I bought a condo in Florida just for me and then bought a – I bought the parking space to go along with it because you know you go buy the condo and then if you want the space that is an extra bunch of money. I bought the condo, the apartment, and a convertible to leave there so that whenever I was off I never had to wait for any of my deadbeat girlfriends to go on vacation. I just always knew where I was going to go, where I was comfortable. That is success. Powering through, and having our son. I had this boss at that particular time you know I was having problems I had two five month miscarriages. So when I was pregnant with Kevin, our son but he was only a lima bean you, know so you couldn’t see. But- you know so I go to my boss I say oh my gosh you know the EPT is the real deal. And I just came back from the doctor to verify I am pregnant. Guess what. He told me that I’m going to have to be on bed rest as soon as I—you know the action starts moving because I have a weak cervix. I never had a problem getting pregnant, it’s a weak cervix so the pressure on the baby and you know just stress and whatnot. That was the same time- thyroid disease, Grave’s Disease, my body was a wonderland in the sense of having this baby but going through hell because that’s when I was diagnosed with thyroid and Grave’s Disease prior to being pregnant with Kevin. So I couldn’t take any medication while I was pregnant with Kevin. So I go to this jerk right and I’m like and- I’m an integral part of my radio station. By the way I have never worked at a place where I’m a bum.

RJ: Your boss says what when you tell him I’m pregnant and I need bed rest?

WW: He didn’t even look up from what he was writing on his desk and he said ‘Oh well congratulations.’ I said but you know it’s only a little tiny box, you know you guys can you know bring it to the house and I’m going to get up every single day and do the show. The only thing I can’t do is appearances you know but I want to do the show.

RJ: You wanted to stay in the show.

WW: Yes!

WW: I’m not staying off because guess what. There’s always the next girl trying to take your job or next guy. Because you can’t think you’re such a hot stuff that somebody is not going to take your job, which is probably the theory behind why I don’t take off here just to take off, you know? And it was killing me those three weeks. Anyway back to this jerk and I’ll get back to that. So they ended up putting the equipment in the house and I got up every single day. And but- yeah I don’t know what he’s doing now but I know what I’m doing. I am win-ting. I am win-ting. Oh win-ting- that’s better than winning. Win-ting, hunty. The best I can. Do you know what I mean?. You know there’s people on daytime TV, people making more money. People have more accoutrements. People you know, people who have so much more. But even though my office is an explosion of excellence… Excuse me, of excess.

RJ: Excellence works too though.

WW: No no no no. My office is an explosion of excess and my costumes are an explosion of excess. Behind it all I am very humble and I very much have worked very hard. I’ve never been #MeToo-ed but I’m down with the #MeToo movement and I’ve never been approached by some man to do something and I’ve never- I’ve never even thought of doing that. And so now I guess- you know when you say success it depends on how you identify success. My kid is going off to college in September. Part of me passing out and you know being overwhelmed with life is because we’re working on essays so he can get early acceptance, so we don’t have to worry about the holiday season we already find out- OK so that’s done. You know this is success. This really is my mother and father God bless them, they’ve lived to see it. They’re in their 80s. They’ve lived to see little chubby Wendy who…Wendy you’re so pretty if you would just lose some weight. How dare the first man you’re supposed to love say that to you, my father.

RJ: He said that?

WW: Oh over and over. Oh I’m damaged. No but I’ve made up with my parents but yeah you know you go through stuff. Look I’ve got a very large collection of Wonder Woman stuff and these scissors right here are the best. Right?

RJ: They’re awesome.

WW: They were given to me by one of the executives who didn’t quite get it in the beginning but totally gets it. Yeah. People are starting to get it and I get the game. And if it were all to end today I would say I did it mostly my way. You know I did have to play games, button up your shirt, pull down your skirt. Not pull down your skirt. But you know wear a longer skirt, don’t talk so loud. Talk more like this. You know, massage people until they come in and then you slam the door and lock it and you sit him down and say “Now look, I’m Wendy. And this is. This is the way it’s going to be! Please do not get scared. And we do have a lot in common. Even though you think we don’t, know this is what we have in common.” It’s just wonderful, wonderful.

RJ: I know you’re telling the truth. It’s really cool. What’s the toughest lesson along the way?

WW: Learning to say no. Learning to say no because and you know my wonderful people they’re planning the photo shoot for our Season 10 which is coming up you know in September and the dates that they want to, ‘No I can’t do that. Get back to me.’ I won’t even sit in a meeting with them you know. I’m going home. Insert fake cigarette big time. I have no time for this meeting. You figure out the dates and I’ll let you know it works for me. Whereas in the old days I would clear out whatever I had already planned to accommodate. But once I show up to the job, I’m going to wow you. So I’ll be worth the wait. I sound terrible don’t I?

RJ: No I think that’s a great mentality.

WW: No, but people listening who might not know me they’re like who is Rebecca talking to. And why is she such a big shot. She’s inserting fake cigarettes and she belched. She said she’s successful like that.

RJ: I’m sure a lot of them are jealous of the fact that you’re doing exactly what is instinctually you and you’re successful doing it. A lot of people would love to be able to do that. And there’s a lot of people who are doing something that is completely antithetical to who they are whether it’s on Instagram or wherever else.

WW: I have a good friend who’s a doctor and she’s a very good doctor. I mean she’s one of those doctors who makes millions because there’s doctors and then there’s doctors. She’s one of those. And she’s married to a lawyer. All right. So she’s so buttoned up and tight. It is unbelievable. She can never be…Just like ew.

RJ: Relax.

WW: Yes. Yeah.

RJ: Look it’s a hard world.

WW: I used to be a patient of hers for a particular thing. I actually met her through being a patient through a recommendation and then she and I became friends outside of the practice. Not a doctor that handles death or anything like that. You know what I mean? And this is years ago by the way. So I became friends with her. And whenever I’d come for my appointments and mind you, the waiting room was crowded. She would always come out and scurry me in or have one of her helpers. I wouldn’t sit for more than 30 seconds. And that would mess with me. Because now that these people around here…And they know who I am I’m getting my ‘how are you doings’ and my hand flaps and stuff like that. They’ve been sitting here for hours waiting for this doctor. Well worth the wait, she’s very skilled. But I just get scurried in, And then the doctor would take like our – we’d have girl talk in there and I’m thinking there is a waiting room full of people and all I hear are exam doors opening and closing- you know like I guess they’re emptying the waiting room a little at a time putting people in examinations but nobody’s got getting examined until the doctor leaves. I never said anything to her about it but that made me feel horrible and creepy. So I’m still her friend, but I don’t go to her practice because she doesn’t know how to play fair to the rest of the world. You know, you don’t do that to people.

RJ: I would totally tease into that idea more if we had more time. What’s the worst advice you’ve received in your career?

WW: Oh we’ll go back to the flat front khakis and you know tone it down and all that. The worst advice ever.

RJ: Did you think at any point back then, maybe I should do this?

WW: Do what?

RJ: Flat front khakis?

WW: Every day. I want this TV thing people are into me. You know, here in this city I was taking meetings- not for some cable mess. The real deal. People were flying me out to L.A. for an hour, literally. My struggle is like – they fly me out but I would- I’d have to get back to my radio show right away.

RJ: So you would get off the plane you go to the shoot and come right back.

WW: Double park the car, tell the driver you stay right here I’m going in for a meeting and then go right back to the airport and fly back to New York because I don’t want somebody else taking my radio position here in New York while I’m trying to monkey bar my way to TV.

WW: Yeah.

RJ: So what would have happened if you had taken that advice. That became the Wendy persona? Flat front khakis.

WW: I’d be like a lot of women I see on TV. Corny as hell.

RJ: Thank you Wendy Williams for joining us on No Limits!

WW: Thank you! Thank you.

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