Wendy Williams revealed on her show Monday morning that her mother, Shirley Skinner Williams, has died.
Williams, 56, said her mom passed away “many, many, many, many weeks ago” surrounded by her family.
“You know how you lose track of the day and time? All I know was it was a long time ago,” the daytime talk show host, holding back tears, shared. “The five of us, my mom, dad, my siblings, the five of us – she will always be here.”
The author noted that her mom, who often appeared on her daughter’s eponymous talk show, died “beautifully and peacefully and surrounded by love. She didn’t suffer, thank God.”
She did not reveal the cause of death.
Williams described her relationship with her mom as “that of two teenage girls” and said they became closer when she left for college.
“Gone is the best mother, the best girlfriend that a girl could ever have,” Williams said.
Shirley worked as a teacher in New Jersey. She’s survived by her husband, Thomas Williams Sr., as well as her children, Wendy, Wanda and Thomas Williams.