Michelle Williams will always be instantly recognizable as one-third of Destiny’s Child, one of the most successful girl groups of all time. Though she keeps a low profile these days in comparison to former bandmates Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé, she’s certainly been staying busy since Destiny’s Child disbanded. But it hasn’t always been easy for the star, who battles insecurities over never being the “favorite” Destiny’s Child member.
“Apparently I don’t have the most commercially appealing voice or whatever. People have their favorites, but vocally I was not a favorite in the group, and that stuck with me,” she told Billboard in 2019. “Because I’ve done a lot of gospel, so I’m kind of insecure because mainstream [fans] don’t know my voice. And sometimes social media… it’s bad when you read the comments.”
In 2014, people were especially mean to Williams on Twitter, posting #PoorMichelle memes criticizing her career, per Vibe. Unphased, she responded with this since-deleted tweet: “#PoorMichelle that’s not what my accountant said!”
Clearly, Williams doesn’t let her insecurities get the best of her. Though she once considered quitting music entirely, she hasn’t given up — she remains a successful singer in between reality TV appearances, theater roles, and more. Let’s dive in!
She has a vibrant music and acting career
Regardless of who your favorite Destiny’s Child member was, you have to admit that Michelle Williams’ career is impressive. Post-Destiny’s Child, she went on to start a vibrant music career of her own in the gospel world. She released her first solo album, Unexpected, in 2008. In 2014, she had her biggest hits as a solo artist with her fourth studio album, Journey to Freedom. The album was her highest-charting album ever — the single “Say Yes” even made it to the number one spot on Billboard‘s gospel chart.
In addition to forging her own path in music, Williams reunites with the Destiny’s Child gang regularly, including a truly legendary 2018 performance at Coachella.
Williams has also found success as an actress. Over the years, she has starred in the musicals The Color Purple, Chicago, Fela!, and What My Husband Doesn’t Know. Plus, she’s dabbled in the reality TV world, too. She appeared on The Masked Singer‘s second season, and she and ex-fiancé Chad Williams had their own series on OWN, Chad Loves Michelle. She also appeared on the Oxygen reality show Fix My Choir, among other television credits.
She's had a lot of ups and downs
Shortly after joining Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland on stage at Coachella in 2018, Michelle Williams fell into a deep depression and checked into a rehab facility. “I was like, ‘Just fight it, you’ve been here before,'” she told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America of the experience. “I just didn’t do enough…so for months, I was slipping and slipping and slipping [and] before you knew it I was at the bottom of the pit looking up like, ‘Am I really here again?’ And I suffered by myself. I didn’t want to tell anybody.” She has since been advocating for mental health awareness on social media and opening up about her personal struggles.
Her ex-fiancé Chad Johnson appeared on Good Morning America with her, admitting that he had no idea she was struggling so hard. Sadly, the couple broke up in 2019, per BET. They announced the split towards the end of the season of their reality show, Chad Loves Michelle. They had gotten engaged in 2018, per People.
Between her entertainment career, finding and losing love, and raising awareness about mental health, Michelle Williams is busy and thriving after Destiny’s Child. We can’t wait to see what she’s up to next!
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