Wendy Williams wasn’t ashamed of the fact she’d gotten plastic surgery, although others felt she should’ve been.

Wendy Williams, known for commenting on celebrities’ plastic surgery in the past, had no problem admitting she’d gotten work done herself. But her cosmetic work has received more than its fair share of criticism over the years. The way Williams saw it, however, was that even her strongest critics would’ve gotten surgery in her shoes, too.

What Wendy Williams has said about plastic surgery and women

Williams has been very open about her cosmetic procedures over the years. However, followers of the New Jersey native felt Williams shouldn’t have been so proud of her plastic surgery, believing she shouldn’t have gotten any work done at all. But Williams, who believed most of the disapproval came from Black women, felt their criticism was part of a much deeper problem.

“They are jealous,” she once told XO Jane (via Essence). “Because if I said to that person, ‘I got the doctor, and I’m going to pay for it. Choose three things you want to do,’ believe me, they would get it done. They are very jealous and scared. Scared of what their other friends would say, or to break out of the box and be different. And being Black? Ugh, please. My people will not go for any kind of surgery. We are supposed to be natural. Ugh, whatever.”

The controversial talk show host doubled down on her stance in a later interview with Essence. It was noted that Williams received considerable backlash for her previous statements on plastic surgery. But she asserted she was misunderstood.

“I think that regarding plastic surgery, a lot of women that hate to cop to the fact that they would get it done might be saying no to it for other reasons, like, maybe it’s against their culture, or they don’t have the money for it,” Williams said. “I venture to say, as Joan Rivers said on Fashion Police, if I gave you $10,000 and said you can use my doctor, you’d do it. And if you say you wouldn’t, I venture to say, ‘Somebody’s lying, and it ain’t me.’”

Williams further confided that, at the time, plastic surgery was part of a long list of sensitive areas the Black community was conditioned to avoid.

“I think there are a lot of things that, unfortunately in the Black community, we’re taught to be ashamed of, like plastic surgery, or getting help for alcoholism, or sending our addicts to rehab. Or wearing blond hair. Don’t fault me for wearing a 20-inch blond wig — it doesn’t mean I want to be a white person. And I feel that we need to get up off some of our old ways and keep in step with the times, while still being people with morals,” she added.

Wendy Williams was suspended from her radio show for talking about plastic surgery

Perhaps one of the incidences illustrating Williams’ point was when she was called out on air for discussing her cosmetic procedures. Before she hosted The Wendy Williams Show, she was a well-known radio host known for her strong opinions and candid attitude. Back in those days, Williams spoke to her listeners about her plastic surgery journey.

“If you’re going to lay on the table and have somebody else cut you open, I say you see at least three doctors first, and then decide between them,” she once said according to People. “But most importantly, I say, pay for your own plastic surgery. I mean seriously do you really want some future ex-boyfriend out here talking about how he bought your breasts?”

However, Williams paid the price for her honesty when her boss effectively suspended her for bringing up plastic surgery.

“You’re off the air next week,” her boss said. “You can’t talk about your plastic surgery.”

It was noted that Williams tried to argue her case, but her boss wasn’t hearing it.

“You do realize that 80% of the stars that we interview here have had work done. I mean Phil saw it. I saw it. Everybody sees it,” Williams said.