Hayley Williams has released a statement after news broke that her ex-husband, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, died of cancer on Sunday at the age of 45.
Gilbert revealed earlier this year that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma. The musician first shared in 2021 that he was battling metastatic pheochromocytoma, which is a rare form of adrenal cancer.
“Have not known what to say or if it’s appropriate,” Williams said in a post shared on her Instagram story on Wednesday. “But I feel sure now that I want to bc life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite.”
“Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot,” she shared. “He introduced me to people that continue to shape my life in beautiful ways, and to music and culture that has made life a lot richer.”
Williams added that “there isn’t much that hasn’t already been said” about Gilbert’s contributions to the music world, and added that “his passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me.”
“I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore,” she said before signing off. “Sending love and my sympathies to his family, NFG fam, and all his friends.”
William and Gilbert began dating in 2008 and got engaged six years later. The two married in February 2016, and later announced their separation in July 2017.
Gilbert, who was married once before Williams, tied the knot with his third wife, Lisa Cimorelli, in 2020. The two welcomed a daughter named Lily in 2021. Cimorelli announced that Gilbert “passed away peacefully in his sleep” in an emotional Instagram post.
“He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished,” she wrote. “We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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