Why Wendy Williams Says She Has No Regret Marrying Kevin Hunter

Wendy Williams is a polarizing figure that never shies away from using controversy as fodder for her popular daytime talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. While her brazen approach to tackling pop culture has left her feuding with several high-profile celebrities, she found herself on the other end of the metaphorical microscope as her marriage to Kevin Hunter unraveled. 

Now her divorce is finally complete, and Williams is adamant that she doesn’t regret marrying her ex even though the emotional saga has played out for all the world to see. 

Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter have been married for decades

Williams and Hunter tied the knot back in 1997, and they have a son together who was born in 2000. They built Williams’ impressive media presence together.

Hunter, who owned a beauty parlor and had no entertainment experience, became Williams’ manager. They shared everything. They both served as executive producers on the show and co-ran the production company Wendy Williams Productions. 

Williams’ most famous endeavor is certainly her talk show, which she and Hunter launched in 2008. The show is wildly popular thanks in large part to Williams’ no holds barred approach to tackling other celebrities that includes throwing a ton of shade and making quite a few enemies. Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Kardashian, and Bill Cosby have all been targets of her signature snark. 

Cheating rumors about Kevin Hunter started years ago 

While Williams and Hunter’s marriage only recently came to an end, their struggles started years ago. In 2000, shortly after the birth of their son, Williams overheard Hunter on the phone with his apparent mistress.

“I overheard some greasy talk from the next room. Well who is he talking to? I tipped and I crept and I heard what I heard. I was like ‘Wow okay, so this is how it’s going down,'” she later explained. 

Ultimately, the pair worked through that incident, and Williams claimed their relationship was stronger because of it. The relationship would be put to the test again in 2008 when a former employees of Williams’ radio show accused Hunter of creating a hostile work environment.

The former employee also alleged that Hunter had physically assaulted his wife. Meanwhile, even more rumors of infidelity swirled around Hunter. 

Williams addressed the whispers and gossip by holding up her hand to show her wedding ring on the set of her show.

“You can believe what you want,” she told the audience. “I stand by my guy.”

Wendy Williams faced health struggles

On top of their interpersonal relationship issues, Williams also faced some very public health issues.

In 2017, she revealed that she had an autoimmune disorder called Graves disease. She also was diagnosed with lymphedema. She opened up to fans about her painful symptoms and intense treatment procedures and gushed about the support she was receiving from her husband during this trying time. 

By 2019, Williams’ struggles had come to a head. In March, she appeared on her show to defend her marriage against even more divorce rumors.

“Marriages have ebbs and flows, marriage isn’t easy. And don’t ask me about mine until you see this gone,” she said, meaning her wedding ring. “And it ain’t going anywhere, not in this lifetime.”

By April, that wedding ring was off and the divorce proceedings had been announced. Amidst the startling (if not altogether unexpected) announcement, Williams also opened up about her own struggles with sobriety as fans wondered if her show was nearing cancellation. 

Wendy Williams is moving on with divorce finalized

Now the divorce is finalized, and sources report that the couple is splitting up most of their assets, and Williams will get total control of the production studio. Ultimately, Williams does not regret her time married to Hunter: “I’m not mad, you know, it was 25 years I don’t regret,” she said. “But you know what, sometimes people move on with their lives.”

Part of moving on includes keeping her show despite cancellation rumors. It has been renewed through at least 2022, so fans can continue to see her weigh in on other celebrities’ marriage problems and make fun of their physical appearances.