Fans of Dawson's Creek will be happy to know that actress Michelle Williams has found a new leading man. Michelle, who's been tied to a few notable actors and directors in the past, also had another announcement — she's expecting her second child.
The star is already mom to 14-year-old Matilda, whom she had with actor Heath Ledger before his untimely death. Michelle Williams has done such a fantastic job single parenting that it's heartwarming for her to expand her family. While Michelle and Heath had split right before his death, they always had a strong love for each other. It's one thing that Michelle makes sure Matilda knows about her father. He always loved her for who she really was.
Michelle respected that as well. Back in 2011, she stated, "Obviously, for me and for [Matilda], there’s a hole in our life. Of course, the natural inclination is to want to fill it and make it disappear, but what I’ve come to recently is that it’s impossible,” she explained. “Nothing will fill in that hole, because what we want back, we can’t get, which is this person. I’m not going to rush anything and scamper around like a mad person and make myself crazy. I’m going to be respectful of the absence." Thus, this news of a new love is even more special.
First, let's go over the history of Heath and Michelle, because it's one of the relationships that had a major impact on the rest of Michelle's dating history. The two met on the set of Brokeback Mountain. After the birth of their daughter, Matilda, they set up a home in Brooklyn. "We have a very, very sweet life there," Michelle said to People back in 2005. "The thing I hope the most is that it stays the way it is."
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The two split a few months before Heath had a tragic and accidental overdose. At the time, Matilda was only 2. That left Michelle as a single mother — which, despite breaking up, likely wasn't the future she had planned. Heath was very actively involved in his daughter's life, and the death was a shock to everyone.
People reports that it had talked to sources stating that the main reason for the split was due to Heath's drug usage at the time. "In the end, there were too many differences," a friend told the source. "She kind of turned her head to those at the beginning, but when Matilda was born was really when she started to reevaluate things." Another said that Michelle never stopped loving Heath, but did what she had to do.
Even Michelle's best friend, Busy Philipps, whom she met on the Dawson's Creek set, felt that Michelle and Heath were bound to get back together after their split. "They were so young and that baby was the light of both of their lives," Busy said, according to HuffPost. "They were just working all the time and it was complicated."
Based on the loss, it was hard for Michelle to move on. Her first major relationship was with director Spike Jonze, but she felt as if it just wasn't right. "The timing was impossible," she reportedly told Vogue. "I thought falling in love again was the only thing that was going to save me from the pain. This erroneous idea: It just makes things more complicated."
Her buddy Busy even tried to set her up with her past costar and friend Jason Segel. The two were strong for about a year and seemed very serious about each other, but they couldn't make it work. The distance was one of the reasons why, according to sources. While Jason was happy in Los Angeles, Michelle literally built her life in Brooklyn.
But fans of Michelle are shocked by the news of a new guy and a pregnancy for one big reason — she did eventually settle down and get married, just to somebody else. Michelle secretly wed musician Phil Elverum, who had one big thing in common with the star. He also suffered from a major loss and was working as a single parent.
Musician Geneviève Castrée died from cancer when her child was only 18 months old, which is something that Michelle could likely relate to. Both children were present at the wedding of Michelle and Phil, and a new mixed family was about to form. But it didn't work out after less than a year. It was reportedly an amicable split.
Still, it must be hard for Phil to not be a little hurt by the news. Hearing that an ex moved on so quickly can be devastating, especially if they end up hearing about it in headlines first. The timing is also a little suspicious for another reason — Michelle's new man was also attached to someone else up until recently.
Michelle is now linked to director Thomas Kail, whose credits include Hamilton. People was the first outlet to report the news. It reported that the two had worked together before, but that it was Matilda who helped set things up, making this connection even more magical. Especially if there was no infidelity.
Thomas will be turning 43 this January. Fans aren't sure when he officially split from ex-wife Angela Christian, known best for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But the two had been together since 2006, so the relationship seemed quite serious. Angela also has a history in theater, working for stage productions since 1999.
Thomas and Michelle reportedly met in 2018, when Thomas directed Fosse/Verdon, which Michelle starred in. It's unclear after that point as to when things got romantic. But maybe it really is true love — and maybe Michelle realized that she felt stronger about Thomas than Phil. It's just important to trust that Michelle wouldn't openly rush into things, especially after being so cautious before.
It is very sweet to know that Matilda had somewhat of a say on this relationship — and she'll get a brother or sister due to it. While Michelle has been wary about settling down, there are photos that prove that many of her relationships included her significant other meeting her daughter. She may have simply known that Thomas was special.
One thing's for sure. That child is very lucky to have Michelle as a mom. Throughout the years, she's proven that no role she's taken on is greater than that of "mother," and she's managed to make sure that Matilda has had as normal of a childhood as she could have. Based on the situation, it's obvious that fans of Heath are curious as to how she's grown up.
Michelle shares, but mostly she talks about what a joy Matilda is to have around. She even once said that every time she misses Heath, she just looks at Matilda and it makes things feel a little better. "I always say to Matilda, 'Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes,'" she said to Vanity Fair.
