Wendy Williams had her studio audience cackling on Thursday morning when she covered a “very very serious” headline during Hot Topics. The talk show host, 55, addressed a viral video of her appearing to let out a loud toot on live television during her January 17 show. Last Friday, she was in the middle of explaining Odell Beckham Jr.’s arrest warrant from an incident at LSU, when she leaned to the right as a fart-like noise went off — making it seem as though she shifted her body to let one rip.
“I don’t lean over like this to release a fart, I’m leaning over like this because it’s comfortable,” Wendy explained as she addressed the “lean” fans noticed in the viral clip. “I like to release my hips and lean. And, if I shift my wig, belch, rub my teeth — I’ve been doing this for 11 years on this show,” she said, confirming, “I have never farted once on this show. As a matter of fact, I barely fart because gas gets released several different ways and mine is belching because all I do is talk, she said as she happened to belch.”
Wendy went on to admit that if she did indeed fart, it wouldn’t have went down like it did in the viral video. “It went viral and I was like, ‘No, if I farted I definitely would’ve been laughing, because farts are always funny,” Wendy admitted before she played the “fartgate” clip. “I went on with the story, and you know a girl like me would’ve been laughing at that. Second of all, by the sound of that fart, I would’ve had to go change my costume. I would’ve left a mark in the seat,” she said. “I wouldn’t have even saved the costume, I would’ve thrown it away. It would’ve probably been soiled.”
Wendy Williams really farted on live TV.
I am unable. pic.twitter.com/rZBLijgauZ
— Randika (@RandyEmillio) January 19, 2020
As for what the noise actually was? — It turns out that Wendy’s guest that day happened to be a chemist, who planned to perform a science experiment. And, while practicing the segment ahead of the live shot, there was a malfunction with a piece of equipment.
“There was no fart,” Wendy said as she brought out one of her show staffers to explain how the noise came about.
“We were doing an experiment out here with a tank and there was air gas and we didn’t have the proper hose for it,” John Anderson said. Meanwhile, Wendy was doing Hot Topics and said she had no idea the experiment was going on.
“We were trying to fill up a fish tank and we didn’t have the proper hose, so, in other words, when you drop a piece of aluminum foil in the tank, it’s supposed to float in mid-air. So, it wasn’t working because of the hose. It was coming out and sputtering like someone was farting, ok, so that’s what it was,” Anderson explained.