Hayley Williams pays tribute to ex-husband Chad Gilbert after his death, calls him 'a legend'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hayley Williams has broken her silence after the death of her former husband, Chad Gilbert.

Gilbert died on Sunday, September 20, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 45. Though the cause of his death is not known yet, he had cancer.

Hayley Williams says her time with Chad Gilbert 'taught me a lot'

Days after his death, Williams took to her Instagram Story to pay him tribute as she wrote, “Have not known what to say or if it’s appropriate. But I feel sure now that I want to [because] life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite.”

Calling the New Found Glory co-founder “a legend,” she continued, “My time connected to him taught me a lot. 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.”

Hayley Williams remembers Chad Gilbert's 'passion for fostering the community'

The lead vocalist of Paramore went on to hail Gilbert’s contribution to the music industry.

“His influence and attitude guided the genre forward. His passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me,” she shared.

Concluding her post, the 37-year-old singer added, “I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore. Sending love and my sympathies to his family, NFG fam, and all his friends.”

Chad Gilbert died 'peacefully in his sleep'

Williams and Gilbert were married for less than a year. They exchanged vows in 2016 after getting engaged in 2014. But their union ended in 2017.

Meanwhile, following the record producer’s death, his wife Lisa Cimorelli and bandmates shared a joint statement which read, “On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep. 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.”

“We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went,” the statement added.

Chad Gilbert was happy 'to inspire people' amid his own health issues

Just a few months before his death, Gilbert had talked about his adrenal cancer, which he had been fighting since 2021, and opened up about his Stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma diagnosis.

“We wanted to write songs and music that would inspire people, everyday people who could relate. What's crazy is through this journey, to this part of my life … as painful as it is, I'm able to inspire people who are going through really tough things in their lives,” he had shared in April.