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Who is Wendy Williams? The better question may be, “Who does she think she is?” Williams would answer, “The Queen of All Media,” and whether you think she deserves that tag, the notoriously outspoken—or maybe loudmouthed—radio and TV host has certainly built herself an impressive career.

She hosts “The Wendy Williams Show,” a syndicated TV talk show that debuted in 2008. Prior to that, she hosted a popular—and sometimes controversial—radio program, in which she sparred with numerous celebrities. She’s also written the New York Times bestsellers The Wendy Williams Experience and Wendy’s Got the Heat.

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The 47-year-old New Jersey native attended Tufts University in Boston, where she began her career in radio. After graduation, she worked at a station in St. Croix before landing in New York City. She was fired from her first job, and after a stint in Philadelphia, she was hired by WBLS in New York. There, she became a sort of female Howard Stern—hence the “Queen of All Media” tag—and over time, her brash interview style made her famous. It also got her mentioned in song lyrics by the likes of Lil Kim, Will Smith, and Jay-Z.

Williams was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2008, and the following year, she left the medium to focus on her television show.

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For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.