Wendy Williams Breaks Her Silence on Aphasia & Dementia Diagnosis

Wendy Williams is speaking out on her recent health diagnoses -- and while she's grateful for the love and support she's been getting ... she isn't addressing the elephant in the room.

The former talk show host -- who's been out of the spotlight for a couple years now as she's dealt with private issues -- issued a statement Friday that touched on the fact that her team says she's now afflicted with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.

Wendy says, "I want to say I have immense gratitude for the love and kind words I have received after sharing my diagnosis of Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Let me say, wow!  Your response has been overwhelming."

She adds, "The messages shared with me have touched me, reminding me of the power of unity and the need for compassion. I hope that others with FTD may benefit from my story. I want to also thank the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration for their kind words of support and their extraordinary efforts to raise awareness of FTD."

Wendy finally finishes with this ... "I continue to need personal space and peace to thrive.  Please just know that your positivity and encouragement are deeply appreciated."

It's good to hear from Wendy directly, of course ... but the one thing people really wanna know about her right now is -- where exactly is she, and how is she holding up???

The documentary from Lifetime that's coming out this weekend makes it seem like Wendy is going through a really hard time ... and there appears to be drama brewing between the team handling her affairs right now and her own family. Basically, it's messy and complicated.