'We remain close friends'.
Words by Alexia Fernandez
From the editors of People
Paramore’s Hayley Williams and New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert announced their separation in an Instagram post Saturday on Williams’ account.
Williams, 28, and Gilbert, 36, married in February 2016 after nearly eight years together and over a year of being engaged.
In the note posted on Instagram, the duo said that 'marriage is not for the faint of heart.'
'The two of us have been together for the better part of 10 years. We’ve grown up together and we’ve been beside each other through a lot of goodness and a lot of challenges,' they said.
'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,' they continue. 'We want to publicly state — plainly, and only this time — that we are splitting up. We also feel it’s important to state that we are going to be okay and in fact, we remain close friends who are good in each other’s eyes.'
'That’s something we are deeply thankful for. Even though situations like these can feel defeating. We will continue to encourage and support each other personally and professionally.'
Williams and Gilbert began dating in 2008, and became engaged when the guitarist proposed on Christmas 2014. The couple broke the big news a week later, taking to social media to tell fans they were 'so psyched.' They exchanged vows at The Franklin Theatre in Tennessee.
