Wendy Williams Addresses 'FartGate' After Viral Video Appears to Show Her Pass Gas on Her Show

Wendy Williams broke her silence on Thursday’s episode of her talk show — not about her divorce, but about another major headline.

Williams, 55, opened up about a scandal she dubbed “FartGate,” which emerged on social media Jan. 17 after a clip taken from The Wendy Williams Show appeared to depict her passing gas during her infamous Hot Topics segment.

“I want to talk to you about something very, very serious. I’ve been going through this for a moment and I would like to have a private conversation with you, okay?” she began.

Williams then played the video in question. The footage showed the 55-year-old leaning over to the left in her chair, before an audible sound similar to that of a fart was heard.

But Williams denied that she cut the cheese.

“I have never farted once on this show,” Williams said. “As a matter of fact, I barely fart, you know why? Because gas gets released several different ways and mine is belching, because all I do is talk.”

“Let me tell you something right now, okay? I don’t lean over like this to release a fart, I’m lean over like this because it’s comfortable,” she added. “If I sit [straight up] all the time, it’s heavy on my spine. I don’t have the back. I’m not trying to get the back. I like to release my hips and lean, you know what I’m saying? … I’ve been doing this for 11 years on this show!”

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She assured her viewers that she would have “made a big deal” if she had, in fact, let one rip on the show.

“I would have definitely been laughing, because farts are always funny,” Williams said. “You know a girl like me would have been laughing at that!”

In fact, Williams couldn’t help but laugh after watching the clip back herself.

“By the sound of that fart, I would have had to go change my costume!” Williams said. “I would have left a mark in the seat. I wouldn’t even save the costume, I would have throw it away. It’d probably be soiled beyond soiled-tivity.”

So what actually happened? Though Williams suspected that someone had superimposed the noise on the clip, it turns out the raw footage proved the sound was there.

Thankfully, stagehand John Anderson cleared things up, explaining that they were setting up for an upcoming segment with scientist and author Dr. Kate Biberdorf (a.k.a. Kate the Chemist).

“We were filling up a fish tank backstage and we didn’t have the proper hose,” Anderson said. “The air was just coming out and it was sputtering like someone was farting. Okay? So that’s what it was. It wasn’t Wendy!”

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On Thursday’s show, Williams made no mention of Wednesday’s report that she has finalized her divorce from ex Kevin Hunter.

Instead, the daytime host covered Pamela Anderson‘s surprise wedding, Jessica Simpson opening up about her addiction struggles exclusively to PEOPLE, the ongoing Harvey Weinstein trial and more.

Williams and Hunter, 46, are each foregoing alimony and will sell their New Jersey home and share those proceeds, according to Page Six. Hunter will also reportedly sign over his shares of Wendy Williams Productions to her, and she will get their joint bank account, while he will keep his cars and separate businesses.

TMZ also reported that Williams will keep their home in Florida, while Hunter will receive the proceeds from another recently sold home in New Jersey.

The exes were married for over two decades before the Wendy Williams Show host filed for divorce in April 2019. They share son Kevin Jr., 19.

The Wendy Williams Show airs weekdays in syndication (check local listings)