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Kimberly Williams-Paisley opened up about “a challenging couple of years,” and a recent surgery in an Instagram post over the weekend.
The actress — known for her breakout role in Father of the Bride, Nashville, According to Jim, We Are Marshall and other roles — shared a selfie from the hospital on the first slide of her Instagram post. The second slide is a warning, followed by a photo of the scar on her neck (complete with “bad artwork” by her brother, she noted). Williams-Paisley, 52, said she’s “been going through a thing,” for nearly two years. She said she lost her voice while she was on stage at an Alzheimer’s event she was hosting in Nashville, Tennessee, an experience she recalled as “embarrassing” and “scary,” and her voice “never quite came back.
“It’s been a challenging couple of years, but we finally got to the bottom of it,” she wrote. “I have damage to my laryngeal nerve. I tried everything I could to heal it (so thank you but please don’t give me any tips!). I was finally able to have surgery this week at [Vanderbilt Health] with expert surgeons, & it is sounding so much better!!”
Williams-Paisley said she’s felt “too vulnerable” to open up about her health journey until now. She “took for granted my ability to ‘use my voice’ before—for my career, for a good cause, for a timely joke, for SELF-EXPRESSION, for a loud dinner party. Instead, I’ve been the quietest in the room. I’ve felt meek. New people I’ve met thought I was a shy or reserved person. I’ve felt trapped in my body. I’ve been through shame & self-loathing, all kinds of training, breathing techniques, & braces & healing & laughing & crying & explaining. I’ve met many amazing helpers along the way who’ve become amazing friends & I’m feeling SO GRATEFUL.”
Williams-Paisley said she was awake for the three-hour surgery, and hailed modern medicine “miraculous.” She also said she’s found new ways to use her voice in the last two years. She’s “healed old emotional wounds,” appreciated silence, taken better care of her physical health, managed stress and is feeling “more whole, empowered & joyful.”
“This will be a great new chapter. Also I will miss the silence,” her husband, country artist Brad Paisley, wrote in the comments. Williams-Paisley also garnered heartfelt messages from Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride, Kylie Morgan, sister and fellow actress Ashley Williams, and many others. See her post here (warning: graphic image on the third slide).