Hayley Williams’ Ex-husband: Paramore Singer Once Confessed She Should Not Have Married Chad Gilbert

Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Taylor York found themselves amid dating rumors in 2020, which the pair left to speculation for the past two years. However, their romance was confirmed in a recent interview with The Guardian.

The rumors gained momentum following the release of Hayley Williams’s solo album “Petals of Armor” that year, the whole of which her lover produced. Among the tracks in the album is one titled “Crystal Clear,” which talked about falling in love.

Williams explained that despite her thick skin and her “resistance to vulnerability,” she couldn’t help but succumb to the love that welled in her heart. She has been the co-founder of Paramore since 2004, alongside her bandmates Jeremy Davis, Josh, and Zac Farro.

Chad Gilbert and singer Hayley Williams are photographed as they arrive at the People’s Choice Awards 2010, on January 6, 2010, in Los Angeles. | Source: Getty Images

Her lover, Taylor York, joined Paramore as a guitarist in 2007 while the alternative band was still recording “Riot!” Previously, Williams dated and married Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory’s guitarist. The pair was together for several years before tying the knot, but their marriage lasted only a year.

Who Is Chad Gilbert, Hayley Williams’s Ex-husband?

Chad Everett Gilbert is a multi-talented artist who primarily focused his career on music. He drew his first breath in Coral Springs, Florida, on March 9, 1981. He is an actor, writer, and 1998 founder, composer, back vocalist, and lead guitarist of the band “New Found Glory.”

Gilbert is also known for movies such as 2002’s “Clockstoppers,” 2003’s “American Wedding,” and 2006’s “The Benchwarmers.” According to his Distractify, he was the lead vocalist for the alternative punk band Shai Hulud in 1995.

Gilbert joined the band after deciding he wouldn’t go to college and instead pursue music professionally. Per Distractify, he rejoined Shai Hulud, and the mates collaborated to produce the album “Reach Beyond The Sun.” Moreover, Gilbert has released some EPs of his own.

Gilbert hasn’t been afraid to try his hand at marriage. The artist married Sherrie DuPree Bemis, a Texas-born singer-songwriter and visual artist, in February 2007. However, their union lasted less than a year, with the couple divorcing in December.

Still, Gilbert found love and is even raising his own family now. After divorcing Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Gilbert found love again with Cimorelli drummer Lisa Michelle Cimorelli. The pair tied the knot on October 3, 2020, and have since welcomed a baby girl together.

How Long Have Chad Gilbert and Hayley Williams Been Together?

Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert met in 2008, following Gilbert’s split from Sherrie Dupree Bemis, and the pair’s romance ensued. They were together for eight years before Gilbert decided to pop the question on 2014 New Years’ Eve, per Distractify.

In 2016, they finally tied the knot in an unconventional ceremony held in Nashville at Franklin Theater. The former couple exchanged vows on February 20, 2016, in front of a small crowd of about fifty guests. Per E! Online, Williams, and Gilbert had previously attained a marriage license the month before.

Their wedding photos show them looking as happy as can be, with a fun and laid-back reception held at Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant. Fans and outlets also shared adorable pictures of orange-haired Williams and Gilbert enjoying their first dance as a married couple.

According to E! Online, While exchanging vows, Williams donned a Vera Wang gown with Doc Marten Jadon boots and later changed into a white striped skirt with a plain t-shirt embroidered “Chad” in red across the chest. Her ex-husband sported a black tux with a tartan Ben Sherman shirt.

Although the couple held a lovely wedding ceremony, their union didn’t last very long. They divorced in 2017, less than two years after tying the knot. Gilbert and Williams’s separation was amicable, and they said they would remain close friends in the since-deleted Instagram statement.

Moreover, they remarked that marriage was “not for the faint of heart,” citing that although they’ve had plenty of goodness in their relationship, it also came with its challenges. They also added that they would remain hopeful even though the outcome of their relationship was not what they initially hoped.

Hayley Williams i photographed with Chad Gilbert as they perform on stage during Day 5 of SXSW 2013 Music Festival on March 16, 2013, in Austin, Texas. | Source: Getty Images

How Did Her Divorce from Chad Gilbert Affect Hayley Williams?

In 2018, Taylor York’s lover, Hayley Williams, penned an op-ed for Paper Magazine, reflecting on her divorce’s toll on her physical, emotional, and mental well-being. She wrote of how she and York both struggled with their mental health, but after finding solace in writing, she began to heal her wounds.

She also expressed her gratitude for her bandmate, Zac Farro, who continued supporting her when she saw no use in caring for herself and considered him a brother. The singer felt more open to experiencing the fullness of being alive, welcoming both joy and pain.

Williams could laugh heartily again as her mother noticed, and she noted that she learned physical well-being was connected to emotional well-being through her healing journey. However, it wasn’t easy to reach such as state for the Paramore singer, as she initially struggled with substance abuse.

At one point, it became painfully clear that the singer was unwell as she had lost significant weight – less than 100 pounds – and barely ate. During her interview with The Guardian, Williams admitted that her relationship with Gilbert, who appeared alongside Rob Schneider in “The Benchwarmers,” was unhealthy.

But she was eager to realize her desire for a healthy family that she overlooked all the red flags and convinced herself that she could “fix it.” Williams also confessed that she knew getting married wasn’t a good idea. Still, she was in love and denial.

In May 2020, Williams sat down with Vulture and opened up about her healing journey. She recounted how her childhood water dreams had resurfaced, leading to panic attacks, fainting, and hospitalization. Eventually, she sought treatment at a health facility and was diagnosed with PTSD and depression.

The singer spoke about how much talk therapy helped her deal with the discomfort of vulnerability and letting herself feel her emotions. She prioritized that kind of therapy more than medicine after realizing that if she could feel better emotionally, her body would follow suit.