Last week, on The Wendy Williams Show, the provocative host announced the death of TikTok star, Swavy, with less empathy than she should have. Although Williams is not known for high emotional intelligence, social media was awash with calls to cancel her and her show.
At the time, Williams compared the number of social media followers the TikToker had to herself and said that nobody in the building knew who he was before announcing that he was the victim of homicide with ambivalence.
On Sunday, TMZ spoke with Swavy’s family about the incident and they are understandably as upset as the Twitterverse was about Williams’ demeanor while reporting about their dearly departed.
Chanell Clark, Swavy’s mother, and Rahkim, his eldest brother, took the time to express their thoughts on Williams’ coverage of Swavy.
“Wendy has always been a messy person. That’s what her life consists of,“ said Rahkim. But, this is not just any other story. This is not a highlight. This is not a hot topic. This is our real life,” he continued.
According to the family, Williams did not reach out to them to send condolences nor did she report the events surrounding Swavy’s death accurately.
They also felt that Williams portrayed Swavy as a “thug” and “drug dealer” who lived a street life.
“As a Black woman and as a Black mother, you did not have any empathy for my family. I’m so angry,” Rahkim added.
Swavy’s mother was much more emotional while she shared her thoughts about the incident.
“I had to see my son down there shot up. It just hurt because…Wendy Williams, as a mother, how do you put a child out there like that. Nobody knew him like that,” she said.
The grieving mother said that her son was about to soar in his entertainment pursuits and that’s how he should have been known; not as having been “shot down” in the streets.
Swavy’s mother wants an apology, however, she is still very angry at Williams.
“I deserve an apology but at this point, I’m so p*ssed off. I want to cuss and everything,“ Clark said.
Neither Wendy Williams nor a representative from her show has commented on the criticism.