Hayley Williams Pays Tribute to Chad Gilbert's Hardcore Music Legacy

In an Instagram story, Williams said she had been uncertain whether it was appropriate to speak out, but ultimately felt compelled to do so. "Life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite," she wrote, describing Gilbert as "a legend in the scene" and saying her time connected to him taught her a great deal.

Hayley Williams has spoken publicly about the death of her ex-husband Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory's founding member and lead guitarist, who died Sunday from brain cancer.

Williams said Gilbert introduced her to people who continue to shape her life, as well as to music and culture that has made her life richer. She noted that much had already been said about his contributions to the musical world that many grew up in, adding that his influence and attitude guided the genre forward and that his passion for fostering community was inspiring.

"I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore," Williams wrote, closing her statement by sending love and sympathies to Gilbert's family, the New Found Glory camp, and his friends.

A Decade-Long Relationship

Gilbert and Williams were together from 2007 to 2017. They married in February 2016 and announced their separation just over a year later, in July 2017. At the time, the two issued a joint Instagram statement saying, "We've grown up together and we've been beside each other through a lot of goodness and a lot of challenges."

Following the 2020 release of Williams' debut solo album Petals for Armor, the circumstances behind their divorce came into clearer focus. On the track "Dead Horse," Williams sings, "I got what I deserved / I was the other woman first." Reflecting on that lyric in the same year, she told NME: "I needed to get some of that shit out; a splinter of shame needed to get pulled."