The Trumpet Awards thought they were getting an honoree who could help drive eyes to their upcoming Awards show, but Wendy Williams played them all the way out. Now she's being accused of MAJOR diva behavior! We've got the exclusive details inside.
At this past Saturday's taping of the Trumpet Awards, the audience gasped when Wendy Williams' name was called after her honoree presentation and she was nowhere to be found. The "Wendy Show" talk show maven had skipped out on the Awards show all together, and didn't tell the event organizers until less than two days before!
Sources tell us Wendy was on 100 with her demands! Even though the Trumpet Awards organization never gave a flat out 'No' to her requests, we're told that production thinks Wendy may have felt too much push back during negotiations. And it may have been one of the nails in the no-show coffin.
Weeks leading up to the taping in Atlanta, Wendy's reps and the event organizers were busily solidifying Wendy's travel plans and everything she would need. The Trumpet Awards, an annual event celebrating African-American achievements and contributions, were prepared to give Wendy a few backstage passes and 3-4 plane tickets with the usual travel accommodations covered, all for her and her guests.
We're told Wendy wanted to fly in 8 people, bring all 8 backstage with All-Access passes, and she also wanted to bring an entire camera crew with her every step of the way. It presented a problem for the event staffers as space and resources are tight. We're told they insisted on trying to compromise with where the cameras could and couldn't go -- especially seeing that their own cameras would be capturing footage for the night.
We're also told she insisted on getting cash as opposed to her plane tickets being booked the standard way, by the event organizers directly, and she also insisted on using her own car service company to the airport in New Jersey. Trumpet organizers attempted to compromise by requesting she used a cheaper company, but, supposedly, she wasn't having it.
Comedian Gary Owen was set to honor her for the presentation portion, and we're told she wasn't here for that either, yet she didn't give an explanation as to why.
As one source put it, "It was almost like she was pulling a Mo'nique — asking for a whole lot and it was all too much."
The final nail in the coffin: According to our source, Wendy's reps called up the event organizers late Thursday night, less than 48 hours before the event, and said “something personal happened and she won’t be able to make it.”
Event reps got Ed Lover to be a part of the presentation in the last hours of production, but apparently it didn't change her mind about coming.
Wendy has yet to mention the Trumpet Awards on her talk show (she does mention it briefly on her Youtube aftershow once). Perhaps she's waiting until Monday after the show airs. We hear she did record a Thank You video days later, after much back and forth about it.
Still, we're told event producers are pissed, mainly because Wendy publicizing the event beforehand was part of the reason she was being honored in the first place.
Bounce TV will premiere the 25th Annual Trumpet Awards on Sunday, January 29 at 9:00pm ET.
Photos: Getty
