Entertainment TV Wendy Williams Says Husband Kevin Hunter 'Was with Me Every Step' of Health Crisis Daytime TV's gossip queen Wendy Williams opens up to PEOPLE about how her Graves' disease health scare took a toll on husband Kevin Hunter By Janine Rubenstein Janine Rubenstein Instagram Twitter Janine Rubenstein is Editor-at-Large at PEOPLE and host of PEOPLE Every Day podcast, a daily dose of breaking news, pop culture and heartwarming human interest stories. Formerly Senior Editor of music content, she's also covered crime, human interest and television news throughout her many years with the brand. Prior to PEOPLE she's written for Essence, The Cape Times newspaper and Los Angeles Magazine among others. On-screen Rubenstein can be found featured on shows like Good Morning America and Entertainment Tonight and she routinely hosts PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly's star-studded Red Carpet Live specials. Follow the San Francisco native, Black Barbie collector and proud mom of two on Instagram and Twitter @janinerube People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 21, 2018 10:13 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Wendy Williams does not scare easily. In fact, when her doctor told her she desperately needed to take time off last month due to complications surrounding her Graves’ disease (an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland), “I wasn’t afraid, I was resistant,” the star, 53, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, on stands Friday. “I was like ‘Who are these doctors, what are they talking about, ugh, ugh.'” Still, the queen of daytime TV gossip knew something was seriously off with her body and heeded the warning, taking her first-ever hiatus from her hit talk show. “I had a storm going in my body is the best way I can explain it,” she says of experiencing Graves’ symptoms like high blood pressure and eye protrusion in the midst of going through menopause. “I love doing my show. But I love me more.” ABC Instructed to rest, the star spent her time off avoiding phone calls (“I didn’t want anyone going back to their all-girl crew to gossip about what’s going on with Wendy”) and relaxing at the New Jersey home she shares with her husband of 20 years Kevin Hunter, and their 17-year-old son Kevin, Jr. For more on Williams’ health scare and how she’s bouncing back, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday. RELATED VIDEO: Wendy Williams Faints on Air After Overheating in Halloween Costume: ‘That Was Not a Stunt’ It was Hunter who took her health scare the hardest. “My husband was extremely concerned,” says Williams. “He’s not just my husband, he’s my business partner, one of the executive producers on the show and he’s also my manager. He and I are glued at the hip.” Courtesy Wendy Williams “He was with me every step,” she says of Hunter, who shuffled her to and from doctor’s appointments in New York City. “For him, seeing me go through all of this, it’s really been trying on him. I’ve been concerned about him. I’m like, ‘Don’t worry about me!'” For more on Wendy, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday Now back on the air with a clean bill of health, Williams has a whole new outlook.”There’s a lot of smart women doing dumb things with their health and I fell into that category as well,” she says of having skipped out on her doctor’s appointments for work and family commitments. “I’m glad my situation was caught in a timely manner.” And she says she’s not the least bit interested in slowing down. “I’m too young for all the ‘woo, woo, woos’. I’m not that girl. I feel fabulous,” she says before posing her favorite question, “How are you doin’?”