Montel Williams Is Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis

Jet, Sept 6, 1999

TV talk show host Montel Williams recently announced that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but told reporters he won't quit his talk show.

"This disease is not going to stop me," said Williams, who was accompanied by his wife, Grace, at a news conference.

"We don't know how long I've had it for, but I've been misdiagnosed for 10 years," he said.

Williams, 43, is considering several recently approved drugs and is starting a fund drive to find a cure for the crippling disease.

MS is a degenerative disorder of the nervous system. Victims typically lose some problem-solving capacity and short-term memory. Most MS patients become wheelchair bound or need help walking.