Update 01/15/2021 2:05pm:

Wendy Williams revealed the identity of her alleged rapist, naming 80s R&B singer Sherrick as the culprit. Williams claimed the incident occurred after she accompanied the singer to his hotel room after conducting an interview with him earlier when she was a young radio DJ in Washington, D.C.

Sherrick's widow, Lynne Connor Smith, questioned the timing of Wendy's claims and found her story "hard to believe."

"Why would Wendy not call the police if it were true?" the film producer asked. "Why did she go out with him? We have questions, too!"

She added that Williams "waited 25 to 30 years" to speak up when she "tells the truth as a career!"

Smith also said Williams should let her late husband rest in peace since he's no longer alive to defend himself. She further stated that the talk show host's claims have caused harm to her family.

"Sherrick was a beautiful man, a genius with a voice like an angel," Smith said. "We have three amazing children. This is quite painful to not only us but his nieces and siblings."

In a separate statement, Smith's family wrote: "The man that others knew as 'Sherrick' passed away 21 years ago. He was loved and adored by his family and we miss him every day. As I will never minimize or dismiss the horrid actions of sexual assault, I am saddened that Ms. Williams feels the need to publicly make these allegations when the man she is accusing is no longer on this earth to defend himself. Our family does not know Ms. Williams and are not aware of any relationship or encounter they may have had."

Wendy Williams' Lifetime biopic is set to be on January 30 and will reportedly feature the incident. Lynne Connor Smith was married to Sherrick from 1993 until his death in 1999.

Source: Page Six

Original 01/14/2021 4:11pm:

Wendy Williams revealed in her 2001 memoir that she was the victim of an alleged sexual assault but decided against exposing who her rapist was. In anticipation of her upcoming Lifetime biopic, Wendy Williams: The Movie, and its documentary, Wendy Williams: What A Mess, the talk show host revealed that an 80s R&B singer was the man in question.

"His name was Sherrick [and] he was a one-hit wonder, remember the song. It was called 'Just Call' and it was number one on the R&B charts and an overnight sensation," Williams said of the singer who passed away in 1999. "He was in D.C. I was a cute radio DJ. He'd asked me did I want to accompany him to his album release celebration in D.C. and I said 'yes.' I got off the air and went back to his hotel room with him. He said he wanted to shower and freshen up and introduced cocaine to the scene. I was already familiar with cocaine so I was continuing to party while he was in the shower. And I was sitting on the bed minding my own business."

Williams claimed she was date raped by Sherrick prior to the release and described her reaction after the alleged incident.

"I left after that and went home and scrubbed my skin off, cried and that was that," she continued. "I never told anybody. I just handled it and that's it."

"I'll never forget his name," Williams added. "And you know, and now that I've said it, and I'm still on TV, now his kids and their kids and their kids are gonna have to deal with that. I was raped by Sherrick."

Sherrick started his music career as a member of the Motown group, Kagny, before embarking on a solo career. His biggest hit was "Just Call," which made it to the Top 10 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. After battling substance abuse, Sherrick passed away in 1999, at the age of 41 of unknown causes.

Wendy Williams: The Movie and Wendy Williams: What A Mess are both set to premiere on January 30.

Source: New York Daily News