Michelle Williams Talks Battling Depression And Suicidal Thoughts: ”I Was So Broken”

Singer Michelle Williams reveals she’s been struggling with depression following her breakup with ex-fiancé Chad Johnson.

In a new interview with #Essence, the 38-year-old songstress opened up about dealing with depression since the age of 13. Williams also detailed how her breakup from Johnson now has her fighting suicidal thoughts, as she once did as an adolescent. 

“I was weak, very depressed and thinking it was the end of my life,” she told the outlet. “If someone had asked me where I would be today, I didn’t think I would be alive, because I was so broken.” She continued, “It felt as though I had failed publicly and privately, too, and that was just not like me. And I was like, God, there’s got to be more.”

The two were engaged in March 2018. However, Williams told PEOPLE in October that she fell into a deep depression while planning her wedding. In July, Williams looked into mental health treatment. “I thought I was over depression. I thought, ‘I’m good!’ I’ve got love, I’m working out,” she told PEOPLE. “But I was so angry. The rage built up in me. I did not attempt suicide, but I was questioning [life].”

But Williams says her life turned around after calling off her engagement, saying March and April have been positive months. “I am in a better place now. I am not perfect. I’m not preaching. I’m just telling you what I’m doing right now – I’m sticking to my routine,” she said. “When people say it gets better, it does. It just takes time. The days do get brighter.”