Michelle Williams Reveals She and Chad Johnson Ended Their Engagement: 'Things Didn't Work Out'
https://people.com/music/michelle-williams-chad-johnson-split-end-engagement/
Michelle Williams has revealed that her engagement to pastor Chad Johnson is off.
The 38-year-old Destiny’s Child singer made the announcement in a since-deleted Instagram Story post on Friday morning — the same day she dropped her latest single, “Fearless.”
“I still remain fearless,” she wrote in simple white text on a black background. “I guess I still remain single! Things didn’t work out. The healing that needs to take place is a must! I don’t wanna destroy another relationship. Blessings to him, his family and ministry. #FEARLESS”
Reps for Williams didn’t immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Williams and Johnson, 40, announced their engagement exclusively to PEOPLE in April.
The couple met in March 2017 at an Arizona spiritual retreat run by Johnson, a life coach who has also worked as a chaplain for pro sports teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and L.A. Dodgers.
“I was in a horrible, dark place,” Williams previously told PEOPLE. (She had recently opened up about a cheating ex on The Real.) “I just needed to go somewhere where I could get a message of hope and restoration, rejuvenation — get connected to God.” They immediately bonded over their faith, and Johnson popped the question a year later.
“I was so shocked! I was weeping and wailing,” Williams said during an interview with Good Morning America at the time. “He proposed to me in Pebble Beach at this beautiful resort and I was crying so loud that people were turning around, going back to their rooms and stuff, they weren’t coming to the restaurant because they were like, ‘Did she just find out something he did bad? What happened?'” she added.
But their relationship hit a major snag when Williams broke off the engagement — twice — in the weeks after Johnson popped the question. Three months later, she was hospitalized and subsequently entered a treatment facility for severe depression.
“I’m assuming a lot of relationships go through a period of time where one or more people get overwhelmed,” she told PEOPLE in October. “You don’t even know what it’s like to have real love because I’ve had to fight so much in past relationships: fight to have a place, fight for you to see me, fight for you to love me, fight for you to be faithful. In this relationship I didn’t have to do that, but I was so ready to fight.”
Though the singer tried to push Johnson away, he supported Williams through her time in the hospital and treatment, and they underwent intense individual and premarital counseling.
The couple starred in the unscripted reality series Chad Loves Michelle, which premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network in early November. The show offered fans an intimate look into their relationship as they entered pre-marital counseling and managed Williams’ mental health struggles.
“Don’t lose hope in love,” Williams previously told PEOPLE. “I do think you should not focus so much that if you’re not in love that you get depressed about it. I was in a place where I was like, I’m just going to focus on my career and my family and just keep it moving. I started taking myself out; I started traveling by myself, to the point where I loved being by myself.”
“Just don’t lose hope. But definitely be doing what you can do to make yourself a better person for the person that possibly is on the way for the way for you,” she added.
https://people.com/music/michelle-williams-chad-johnson-split-end-engagement/
Michelle Williams has revealed that her engagement to pastor Chad Johnson is off.
The 38-year-old Destiny’s Child singer made the announcement in a since-deleted Instagram Story post on Friday morning — the same day she dropped her latest single, “Fearless.”
“I still remain fearless,” she wrote in simple white text on a black background. “I guess I still remain single! Things didn’t work out. The healing that needs to take place is a must! I don’t wanna destroy another relationship. Blessings to him, his family and ministry. #FEARLESS”
Reps for Williams didn’t immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Williams and Johnson, 40, announced their engagement exclusively to PEOPLE in April.
The couple met in March 2017 at an Arizona spiritual retreat run by Johnson, a life coach who has also worked as a chaplain for pro sports teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and L.A. Dodgers.
“I was in a horrible, dark place,” Williams previously told PEOPLE. (She had recently opened up about a cheating ex on The Real.) “I just needed to go somewhere where I could get a message of hope and restoration, rejuvenation — get connected to God.” They immediately bonded over their faith, and Johnson popped the question a year later.
“I was so shocked! I was weeping and wailing,” Williams said during an interview with Good Morning America at the time. “He proposed to me in Pebble Beach at this beautiful resort and I was crying so loud that people were turning around, going back to their rooms and stuff, they weren’t coming to the restaurant because they were like, ‘Did she just find out something he did bad? What happened?'” she added.
But their relationship hit a major snag when Williams broke off the engagement — twice — in the weeks after Johnson popped the question. Three months later, she was hospitalized and subsequently entered a treatment facility for severe depression.
“I’m assuming a lot of relationships go through a period of time where one or more people get overwhelmed,” she told PEOPLE in October. “You don’t even know what it’s like to have real love because I’ve had to fight so much in past relationships: fight to have a place, fight for you to see me, fight for you to love me, fight for you to be faithful. In this relationship I didn’t have to do that, but I was so ready to fight.”
Though the singer tried to push Johnson away, he supported Williams through her time in the hospital and treatment, and they underwent intense individual and premarital counseling.
The couple starred in the unscripted reality series Chad Loves Michelle, which premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network in early November. The show offered fans an intimate look into their relationship as they entered pre-marital counseling and managed Williams’ mental health struggles.
“Don’t lose hope in love,” Williams previously told PEOPLE. “I do think you should not focus so much that if you’re not in love that you get depressed about it. I was in a place where I was like, I’m just going to focus on my career and my family and just keep it moving. I started taking myself out; I started traveling by myself, to the point where I loved being by myself.”
“Just don’t lose hope. But definitely be doing what you can do to make yourself a better person for the person that possibly is on the way for the way for you,” she added.
