History of Hayley Williams in Timeline

Hayley Williams is an American singer and songwriter, recognized as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the acclaimed rock band Paramore. Her career encompasses not only her work with Paramore, which has achieved significant commercial success and critical acclaim but also solo endeavors, showcasing her versatility as an artist. Williams has become an influential figure in the pop-punk and alternative rock scenes, known for her dynamic stage presence and distinctive vocal style. Beyond her musical contributions, she has ventured into business with her hair dye company, 'Good Dye Young'.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education

October 2007: John Mayer praises Hayley Williams

In October 2007, singer-songwriter John Mayer praised Hayley Williams's voice in a blog post, calling her "The great orange hope".

2007: Start of relationship with Chad Gilbert

In late 2007, Hayley Williams began dating New Found Glory lead guitarist Chad Gilbert.

2014: Engagement to Chad Gilbert

On Christmas Day in 2014, Hayley Williams became engaged to Chad Gilbert.

2015: Response to feminist criticism of "Misery Business"

In 2015, Hayley Williams responded to feminist criticism of Paramore's song "Misery Business", citing her youth and inexperience. She described herself as "a proud feminist [...] just maybe not a perfect one".

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2015: Brief departure from Paramore

In mid-2015, Hayley Williams briefly left Paramore due to her experiences with depression.

February 20, 2016: Marriage to Chad Gilbert

Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert were married on February 20, 2016.

2016: Launch of Good Dye Young

In 2016, Hayley Williams, along with Brian O'Connor, launched the hair dye company Good Dye Young, offering a variety of vegan and cruelty-free hair dyes.

July 1, 2017: Separation announcement

On July 1, 2017, Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert formally announced their separation.

2017: Launch of Poser Paste

In 2017, Good Dye Young launched Poser Paste, a temporary hair dye line that disappears after one wash.

2018: Diagnosis with PTSD and start of therapy

In 2018, Hayley Williams was diagnosed with PTSD and began seeing a therapist.

2019: Discussion of mental health and divorce

In a 2019 interview, Hayley Williams discussed depression, mental health, and her divorce.

May 2020: Release of Lighter Daze

In May 2020, Good Dye Young released Lighter Daze, a range of five semi-permanent pastel colors.

2020: Instagram account takeover by Teens4Equality

In 2020, following the George Floyd protests, Hayley Williams temporarily handed control of her Instagram account to Nashville-based activist group Teens4Equality to highlight their work in relation to the Black Lives Matter movement.

2020: Suicidal thoughts revelation

In a 2020 interview, Hayley Williams revealed she had suicidal thoughts but did not act on them.

2021: Abandonment of personal social media accounts

In 2021, Hayley Williams announced that she would be abandoning her personal social media accounts to create boundaries between her public and private life. She directed her fans to Paramore's official accounts, and later returned to Instagram with comments disabled.

2021: Impact of generational trauma

In a 2021 interview, Hayley Williams discussed how she had been impacted by generational trauma and revealed that she has been seeing a therapist since 2018.

September 2022: Relationship with Taylor York confirmed

In September 2022, Hayley Williams confirmed she was in a relationship with her Paramore bandmate Taylor York.

2022: Endorsement of Beto O'Rourke

In 2022, Hayley Williams endorsed Democratic nominee Beto O'Rourke in the Texas gubernatorial election.

2023: Criticism of Ron DeSantis supporters

During a 2023 concert, Hayley Williams criticized supporters of Florida governor Ron DeSantis near the start of his presidential bid, saying, "If you vote for Ron DeSantis, you're fucking dead to me."

2023: Public revelation of PTSD diagnosis

In a 2023 interview, Hayley Williams revealed that she had been diagnosed with PTSD in 2018.

2024: Slamming of Donald Trump and Project 2025

At the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, during the lead-up to that year's US presidential election, Hayley Williams slammed candidate Donald Trump and Project 2025, urging listeners to vote against the "Trump agenda," which the singer described as a dictatorship.