Written by Danica Dow

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:20:31 Z
Wendy Williams


Wendy Williams announced on the air earlier today that WBLS has fired her sidekick Charlamagne Tha God from her popular radio show, "The Wendy Williams Experience."

Williams began her program on a somber note by revealing that her controversial co-host Charlamagne, who has been a fixture on the nationally syndicated show since 2006, had been laid off. Williams blamed the layoff on the current financial crisis in the United States.

"They say unemployment has surges higher now than it has in the last 25 years, shoppers have turned frugal, the economy is sinking," she said. "The credit problem, financial stresses and everybody is suffering, me, you and everybody. I just want to be honest with you all as honest as I possibly can be....This is not the end of the changes that are happening here"

Charlamagne was not the only one to receive a pink slip. New York's Daily News has confirmed that most of Wendy's production staff was let go as well causing the rumor mill to speculate that this is WBLS' way of forcing Wendy to resign. SOHH gossip blogger Gyant claims that if Williams leaves, the station won't have to pony up her hefty severance package.

In the midst of the shaky situation at WBLS, back in June, Williams' talent booker and publicist, Nicole Spence, filed a $5 million sexual harassment lawsuit againt the shock jock's husband, Kevin Hunter, Williams and the station's parent company, Inner City Broadcast Corp.

Spence accused Hunter of sexually propositioning her and later threatening her when she turned down his advances. She also claimed Hunter created a hostile work environment by physically attacking Williams at the office and she blames the station for not only giving Hunter authority - even though he did not work on the show - but for not responding to her multiple complaints about the situation.

Both Williams and Hunter have vehemently denied the allegations.

Yet Williams never mentioned any of this on air today, instead sticking up for her longtime co-host Charlamagne.

"He's gone, he's not forgotten," she announced. "He is still part of la familia. That is still my boy. He still sleeps in the purple room when he comes to the house. We still drink our Patron on Friday nights."

"That man will be O-damn-K," Wendy added.

Stay tuned to SOHH as the story develops.

Well THIS is interesting . I've never held a particular fondness for Charlemagne, because regardless of how spiritual he claims to be, and however many books he's read, he is straight up assanine on air and spews non-stop negativity.For whatever happens to her show, I can't say that I'll miss him.

I was sort of surprised to see someone older and waaay more assanine get him to shut up for once, though...

Ottensen said:

I couldn't stand him. He seemed like a very strange dude, and was strange looking on top of that. I'm wondering if she will bring him back to her FOX show, if she actually returns to television. Charlemagne was just plain rude, especially to females on her show. I found that he always looked way too serious, and it seemed he had very, little sense of humor. Besides, I don't even know why I posted this article because I don't care too much for Wendy anyway. I think that Wendy causes a lot of riffs for artists because of the gossip and raunchiness of her show. She scares a lot of artists away for sure.