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American movie star Kimberly Williams-Paisley has opened up about a ‘terrifying’ health issue that prevented her from speaking properly.
The 90s actress rose to fame with her breakthrough performance in Father of the Bride and its sequel, Father of the Bride Part II, in 1991 and 1995, respectively.
She was nominated for several awards for the comedy flick, and went on to achieve starring roles in 10th Kingdom, According to Jim, and Nashville.
In a new interview, Kimberly, 53, recalled the time she was unable to speak louder than a whisper for nearly two years and how her condition deteriorated in the months following.
‘I felt trapped in my own body,’ Kimberly admitted to People as she remembered how it all started in November 2022.
Kimberly first noticed something was wrong while hosting her annual Alzheimer’s fundraiser, Dance Party to End ALZ, in memory of her late mum.
When she raised the microphone to her mouth, ‘nothing came out.’
Kimberly initially brushed off the medical issues as needing ‘hot tea and vocal rest’.
Having experienced vocal weakness in the past, as weeks went by, she started blaming herself, doubting whether she was ‘breathing properly’ or utilising her vocal training.
‘I was beating myself up,’ she stated, enduring many tearful moments of feeling ‘weak’ while not knowing what was happening to her.
However, Kimberly’s voice failed to improve, and she had no option but to seek further professional help.
She was also forced to turn down acting jobs and even became withdrawn from family and friends, saying she felt ‘invisible.’
The star had the full support of her husband, singer Brad Paisley, and sons Huck, 17, and Jasper, 15, but added: ‘There was so much shame involved.’
While finding the root of the problem wasn’t an easy road, Kimberly was eventually found to have partial paralysis of her left vocal cord.
She had surgery in August to correct the muscle tension dysphonia, caused by the muscles in her neck tensing up.
Prior to this, to get her ‘body to unlock’, she experimented with countless traditional and unorthodox remedies.
Throughout 2023, she tried antidepressants, Invisalign braces, hypnosis, switching to a plant-based diet, and even visited a psychic.
After ‘grieving’ for the voice she had lost and ‘sobbing’ continuously over her condition, she’s finally back to her former self and has learned valuable lessons in the process.
‘I had to fight to be heard,’ she said of her experiences in receiving treatment.
‘Now, no matter what my physical voice is, my voice underneath is stronger. I feel more confident. I know myself better.’
After once believing her voice was gone for good, she has praised her husband for sticking by her side: ‘He’s so good at keeping me laughing. That’s a gift.’
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