Michelle Williams Bows Out Of Broadway Musical After Doctors Orders
The former Destiny’s Child singer is taking a break from the Broadway spotlight as she focuses on her health and wellness. Michelle Williams, 38, is taking a leave of absence from her Broadway role as the goddess Erzullie, in Once On this Island.
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Williams had just landed the acting gig a couple of weeks ago and has been given strict orders by her doctor to stop performing on the Tony Award-winning show.
In an official statement released by the show it said, “Effective immediately, Michelle T. Williams has been advised by her doctors to take a leave of absence from performing.”
When Williams’s spokesperson was contacted, he had no additional comment to add to the statement.
As they say, the show must go on, so Michelle’s understudy Cassondra James will take on the coveted role. James will officially take on the role of the goddess Erzullie until December 26. After that, the Broadway role will then move on to Lea Salonga till the production officially closes on January 6th.
This announcement comes a few days after the musician revealed that she had broken up her engagement to Chad Johnson.
Neither the show nor the Destiny’s Child singer’s representative has said what actually prompted the doctors to advise Williams to leave the show. The singer/actress has been very open with her struggle with mental health recently.
Back in October, while she was still engaged to Chad Johnson, the star told People Magazine that she fell into a deep depression while planning her summer wedding. She added that the depression tainted every aspect of her life, including her relationship with her fiancé.
Williams later quietly broke off her engagement to Chad Johnson just a few weeks after he popped the question. The former couple had met at a spiritual retreat a year ago. Johnson is a pastor and was thought to bring stability in Williams’s life.
Though they tried to work through their problems for the next three months, Williams again broke up with her fiancé at the end of July. After breaking up with him, she drove herself to an L.A area hospital, and then a few days later she checked into a treatment facility.
The entertainer when being candid with People Magazine said, “I thought I was over depression. But I was so angry. The rage built up in me. I did not attempt suicide, but I was questioning [life].”
Depression is not something new in William’s life, because she has been battling with it since she was a teen. Her mental health took a turn for the worse during the height of her fame with Destiny’s Child. In spring when she was set to perform with her former band mates, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, Williams tried to suppress the feeling of hopelessness and focused on her upcoming performance at Coachella. She hit breaking point shortly after the band’s performance in April and decided to check herself into a hospital.
