Michelle Williams Dating History: Heath Ledger, Thomas Kail, More

June 2024 · 2 minute read

Since the beginning of her career, all eyes have been on Michelle Williams’ love life.

The Oscar nominee’s first known celebrity relationship began in 1993, the same year she made her TV debut in an episode of Baywatch. She embarked on a relationship with her costar Jeremy Jackson after meeting on set, but they managed to keep the news under wraps for nearly two decades. Jackson finally spilled the beans in a 2011 interview with Howard Stern, calling Williams his “first crush.”

Williams went on to find true love in 2004 with Heath Ledger, who played her husband in the critically acclaimed romantic drama Brokeback Mountain. They welcomed a daughter, Matilda, in 2005 and broke up two years later. Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose in 2008.

“I never gave up on love,” the actress told Vanity Fair in 2018 while reflecting on life after the Dark Knight star’s death. “I always say to Matilda, ‘Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes.’”

Williams decided to give love another try six months after losing Ledger. She started dating Spike Jonze in 2008, but their relationship ended up being short-lived.

“The timing was impossible,” she admitted to Vogue in 2009. “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.”

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After being single for a few years, the Dawson’s Creek alum had high-profile relationships with Cary Joji Fukunaga, Jason Segel, Dustin Yellin, Jonathan Safran Foer and Andrew Youmans. Then, in 2018, she secretly married Phil Elverum. Their union ended less than a year later, and Williams was engaged to Thomas Kail within a matter of months. She and the director are now married and expecting their first child together.

Scroll down to see a complete timeline of Williams’ dating history.

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