History of Hayley Williams in Timeline

Hayley Williams is an American singer and songwriter, most notably recognized as the co-founder, lead vocalist, and sole consistent member of the rock band Paramore. Her powerful vocals and energetic stage presence have contributed significantly to Paramore's success and popularity within the rock and pop-punk genres. Beyond Paramore, Williams has also pursued solo projects, showcasing her versatility as an artist. She remains a prominent figure in contemporary music and a notable influence on aspiring musicians.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education

October 2007: John Mayer praises Hayley Williams

In October 2007, John Mayer praised Hayley Williams's voice in a blog post, calling her "The great orange hope" due to her orange hair at the time.

2007: Hayley Williams began dating Chad Gilbert

In late 2007, Hayley Williams began dating New Found Glory lead guitarist Chad Gilbert, who was already married to Sherri DuPree.

2014: Hayley Williams gets engaged to Chad Gilbert

On Christmas Day in 2014, Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert got engaged.

2015: Hayley Williams responds to feminist criticism of "Misery Business"

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

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2015: Hayley Williams briefly leaves Paramore

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

February 20, 2016: Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert get married

On February 20, 2016, Hayley Williams married Chad Gilbert.

July 1, 2017: Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert announce their separation

On July 1, 2017, Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert formally announced that they had separated.

2018: Hayley Williams begins seeing a therapist and is diagnosed with PTSD.

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

2019: Hayley Williams discusses depression, mental health, and divorce

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

2020: Hayley Williams hands over Instagram account to 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: Hayley Williams reveals suicidal thoughts

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

2021: Hayley Williams abandons personal social media accounts

In 2021, Hayley Williams announced that she would be abandoning her personal social media accounts due to her need for boundaries and her desire to "spend more time looking up and out, rather than down". She directed her fans to instead follow Paramore's official accounts and later returned to Instagram, but disabled the ability to leave comments on her posts.

2021: Hayley Williams discusses 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: Hayley Williams confirms relationship with Taylor York

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

2022: Hayley Williams endorses Beto O'Rourke

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

2023: Hayley Williams criticizes 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: Hayley Williams reveals PTSD diagnosis

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

2024: Hayley Williams slams Donald Trump and Project 2025

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

2025: Hayley Williams criticizes Donald Trump's agenda.

During a 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, Hayley Williams slammed Donald Trump and Project 2025, urging listeners to vote against the "Trump agenda," which the singer described as a dictatorship. The event references the year 2025 as the potential start of the agenda.