Hayley Williams Speaks Out on Death of Ex-Husband Chad Gilbert: ‘Have Not Known If It’s Appropriate’ to Comment, but ‘I Will Forever Be Grateful’

Hayley Williams has broken her silence following the death of her ex-husband Chad Gilbert, the New Found Glory guitarist who passed away on Sunday. In a tribute shared to her Instagram Stories, the Paramore frontwoman admitted she initially held back because she "had not known what to say or if it's appropriate," a hesitation shaped by the couple's long estrangement. Ultimately, though, Williams decided she wanted to pay public respects to the lasting impact Gilbert had on the musical world they both called home.

The bond between Williams and Gilbert long outlasted their brief marriage. Although they tied the knot in 2016 and separated just a year later, their romance actually dates back to 2008, meaning their connection as partners spanned far more years than their legal union. Announcing their split in 2017, the pair released a joint statement reflecting on the difficulty of the decision: "Marriage is not for the faint of heart. There is a challenge to trying to understand your own heart in the context of a relationship… and there is goodness in considering another heart, even in spite of your own. Love is an absolute risk. And it's up to each of us to stay hopeful even when the outcome isn't what we'd originally hoped for." Gilbert, for his part, co-founded New Found Glory in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997, and the group would go on to rank among pop-punk's most defining acts.

In her message, Williams wrote: "Have not known what to say or if it's appropriate. 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. 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. There isn't much that hasn't already been said about what he contributed to the musical world a lot of us grew up in. His influence and attitude guided the genre forward. 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 a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore. Sending love and my sympathies to his family, NFG fam, and all his friends." One music journalist noted that Gilbert's ability to bridge pop-punk and hardcore proved pivotal, lending credibility to a cross-genre exchange that countless bands would later adopt.

Confirmation of Gilbert's death arrived Sunday via a joint social media post from New Found Glory and his wife, Lisa Cimorelli. "On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep," the statement said. "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 amount of visitors that crowded the hospital lobby at a moment's notice is a testament to how beloved and cherished Chad was, and always will be. He was a legendary musician, but his favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true."

No official cause of death has been disclosed, though Gilbert had been battling cancer for several years. Earlier in 2026, he told People magazine that physicians had discovered three brain tumors and diagnosed him with adrenocortical carcinoma, a development that came years after treatment for a rare form of adrenal cancer. As a founding member of New Found Glory, Gilbert appeared on every one of the band's records, from their 1999 debut "Nothing Gold Can Stay" through their eleventh and most recent album, 2026's "Listen Up!" He also contributed to other outfits, among them Shai Hulud and the New Found Glory side project International Superheroes of Hardcore. Formed in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997, New Found Glory became one of the signature bands of the pop-punk and hardcore scenes, with Gilbert's energetic guitar work and commanding stage presence helping to define the genre's sound for more than two decades.