Who is Alex Finnie? Wendy Williams' niece accused of kidnapping the former TV host from assisted living facility

Media personality and TV host Wendy Williams’ niece Alex Finnie has reportedly been charged with kidnapping her aunt. Williams was living in an assisted living facility, Coterie, from where Finnie took her without allegedly following necessary protocols. As a result, authorities at the facility lodged a report against her with the NYPD.

Alex Finnie is a journalist with WPLG Local 10. She grew up in Miami and earned a Bachelor of Science in television and film production from St. John's University in New York City. Throughout her career, she has interviewed renowned personalities like former President Obama, Donald Trump, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and Oprah Winfrey.

At Local 10, Alex reports on daily news in the South Florida market and covers important events. In October 2018, she reported on Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle before, during, and after the storm.

Finnie also traveled to Pittsburgh to report on the tragic mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, making Local 10 the only South Florida station present on the scene.

The news of the accusation comes a few days after Wendy Williams was taken to a hospital on March 10, 2025, after she dropped a note out of her window pleading for help. The TV host had previously reiterated that she did not need to be in a care facility.

According to Good Morning America, she was seen at the window of her room trying to grab the attention of onlookers. She even dropped a handwritten note mentioning “Help Wendy.”

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Wendy Williams was reportedly displeased with the police report

According to an exclusive report by TMZ, Wendy Williams and Alex Finnie returned from dining at Max Tucci’s Tucci restaurant and spoke briefly with photographers before heading inside the Coterie.

Williams dismissed the police report situation as shocking, questioning why the Coterie had an issue with them going out when her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, reportedly has no restrictions on her movements or family visits.

Wendy Williams has been placed under court-ordered guardianship since 2022. She has been residing at Coterie for the last eight months, where she is currently being held at the memory unit on the fifth floor.

However, she claimed that she was misdiagnosed. Speaking to Vanity Fair on March 6, 2025, Sabrina Morrissey said:

“Nobody’s saying that Wendy can’t leave a building. But that has become a thread that people pick up on.”

Wendy Williams accused her guardian of dishonesty and pointed to the night’s events as evidence of mistreatment. Alex Finnie had picked Wendy up from the hospital, where she was undergoing a psychological evaluation, and brought her back to the Coterie. After spending time together, Alex took Wendy to an Italian restaurant for dinner.

Wendy Williams criticized Coterie’s restrictions during an interview on TMZ Live, making it clear she wanted to leave as soon as possible. She also called out Morrissey for not being open about the facility’s quality. In response, Morrissey defended her stance.

As mandated by rules, Wendy cannot leave the fifth-floor memory unit without assistance, and an attendant who reportedly helped her and Alex Finnie get to the lobby and into their Uber.