Wendy Williams has secured one of the entertainment industry’s most in-demand attorneys, as the former talk show host has hired Joe Tacopina to represent her in her current guardianship battle.
Tacopina revealed the news during an April 3 interview with NewsNation’s Banfield, saying, “Yes, I am representing her, I’m her personal attorney right now. I will be entering the case one way or another, but it’s a convoluted process…the last thing they want to do is see my face in that courtroom,” he added with a chuckle and sly smirk.
Tacopina is currently in the spotlight after representing A$AP Rocky in his recent gun assault trial against A$AP Relli, securing the win for the Harlem rapper who faced two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Other past high-profile clients include Swizz Beatz, Ne-Yo, Meek Mill, YG, Alex Rodriguez, Michael Jackson and President Donald Trump.
The lawyer revealed on the 2 Angry Men podcast in early March that Williams reached out to him to inquire about representation. After watching Tubi documentary Saving Wendy, Tacopina called the current treatment of the media maven “a true injustice,” adding, “Murderers have more freedom than Wendy.”
Rakim Mayers (R), aka A$AP Rocky, stands next to attorney Joe Tacopina (L) in court as the verdict is given in his felony assault trial at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on February 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Cole-Pool/Getty Images)
Williams is currently fighting to be released from a guardianship overseen by court-appointed legal guardian Sabrina Morrissey since May 2022. Protesters have rallied outside of Williams’ assisted living facility in support of the New Jersey native who recently passed a capacity test after being labeled “cognitively impaired.” The test followed Williams dropping a concerning note down to the paparazzi reading, “HELP! WENDY.”
Speaking to People, Williams’ health care advocate, Ginalisa Monterroso, claims that Williams can no longer, “decide where to live, how to spend her money or have a bank account. She can’t vote, marry or decide the doctors she’d like to use or what friends can visit her at the facility. She has to get special permission from Morrissey and sometimes even Judge Lisa A. Sokoloff, who is overseeing her affairs, to travel out of state.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 15: Wendy Williams attends Daniel’s Leather Fashion Show featuring Dame Dash at Harbor New York City on February 15, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
“You have no rights,” added Monterroso. “Somebody in prison has more rights than a person put under a guardianship.”
Williams also previously spoke on her son being somewhat responsible for the guardianship, as his excessive spending from her Wells Fargo account — without her knowledge — is what caused the bank to freeze her accounts and question her spending, which, compounded with her health concerns, resulted in the courts stepping in.
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