Hunter released an exclusive statement to ET calling the 'Wendy Williams Show's final episode a 'travesty.'
Kevin Hunter is slamming the production company behind ex Wendy Williams' daytime talk show for their handling of the series final episode.
Hunter exclusively tells ET, "I feel like it is a travesty on the part of Debmar-Mercury to have such an unceremonious departure without Wendy being involved."
"It is the first time in the history of talk shows for this to be done, especially for a show that has been on for more than 10 years," he adds. "There is absolutely no reason why a bigger celebration that involved Wendy couldn't happen."
Hunter continues, saying that, as a co-creator of the show, "I know the blood, sweat and tears that went into making the show such a success, [and] I am not happy with the way the show is going out on a personal level and I am truly sorry that the show's fans have to see it go down the way that it is."
In March, Hunter filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Debmar-Mercury -- the producer-distributor of The Wendy Williams Show -- for unlawful termination. According to court docs obtained by ET at the time, Hunter claimed that Debmar-Mercury's decision to terminate him was on the basis of his marital status.
In his remarks to ET on Thursday, Hunter states that the production company has shown "a lack of professionalism throughout the process and in the way they are letting Wendy go out."
"After 13 years, the show has been made a mockery the last two seasons and the reasons the show is having its untimely demise will come out very soon," Hunter states.
Hunter claims that the production company has also "shown a lack of support both health-wise and in keeping the integrity of something so precious that me and my ex-wife created and worked tirelessly and relentlessly on, almost to a fault, to where we had to suffer all kinds of issues in our personal relationship for the sake of the business."
Regarding his lawsuit against the production company, Hunter claims, "I was fired, not because of my job performance, I was fired because I was going through a divorce with my ex-wife, and that is unlawful in the state of New York. The way Debmar meticulously involved themselves in my personal life, their want to divide and conquer so that they could have access to Wendy, and the practices they carried on with and the way they involved themselves in with me and my ex-wife is deplorable."
ET has reached out to Debmar-Mercury for comment.
ET can confirm that the final original episode of The Wendy Williams Show will air on Friday, with a video tribute to the iconic host. The series comes to an end after 13 successful years in syndication. Williams, who has been the original host of the show since its debut in 2009, has not been on to host since 2020, when she began battling a series of health concerns and financial issues.
In her absence, a number of guest hosts, including Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Leah Remini, Michael Rapaport and Sherri Shepherd have stepped in to talk “Hot Topics” and interview celebrity guests. In February, it was announced that the show would officially end in the fall, and that Shepherd will have her own daytime talk show, titled, Sherri.
For more on The Wendy Williams Show, check out the video below.
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