Hayley Williams has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of her former husband, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, three days after he passed away.
Gilbert, 45, died peacefully in his sleep on September 20 at his home in Nashville, surrounded by family, with his wife Lisa Cimorelli and his mother by his side, according to a joint statement from New Found Glory and Cimorelli. The band called him "the driving force" behind the group he co-founded in 1997, adding that his influence would remain part of every show they play going forward.
Williams, the Paramore frontwoman, shared her own tribute on Instagram Stories on September 23, admitting she'd waited because she "had not known what to say or if it's appropriate," given their estrangement. She ultimately decided Gilbert's impact on the music community they once shared was worth honoring, calling him "a legend in the scene" and writing that her years connected to him gave her a deeper appreciation for hardcore music and its culture. She closed by sending love to his family, his New Found Glory bandmates, and his friends.
Williams and Gilbert dated for years before marrying in 2016; they divorced the following year.
Gilbert's death capped a years-long battle with pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer that first struck his adrenal gland in 2021 and later spread to his spine.
Through multiple surgeries, he was open with fans about leaning on faith to get through it, once writing that he felt lucky and thankful for "God's timing" amid a difficult diagnosis, and asking supporters for prayer.
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