Kimberly Williams-Paisley Reveals She Was Physically Unable to Speak for 2 Years

Kimberly Williams-Paisley is opening up about a “terrifying” health condition that left her without the ability to speak above a whisper for two years. The Father of the Bride star, 53, revealed she “felt trapped in [her] own body” in an interview with PEOPLE published Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Williams-Paisley first lost her voice in November 2022, recalling a moment where “nothing came out” when it was her time to speak at her annual Alzheimer’s fundraiser, Dance Party to End ALZ, in honor of her late mom. “I put the mic to my mouth, and nothing came out,” she recalled. “It was terrifying.”

The According to Jim actress, who is married to country star Brad Paisley, said she initially thought she needed “hot tea and vocal rest” to recover, but when weeks went by with her being only to whisper, “I went to self-blame —‘I’m not breathing properly, I’m not relying on my vocal training,’” she said. “I was beating myself up.”

Seeking help from a vocal coach, acupuncturist and massage therapist did nothing for Williams-Paisley, who recalled crying in the bathroom at the January 2023 premiere of her Netflix film Dog Gone when she wasn’t able to do interviews.

The strain of her health issues began to wear on her, and she began to experience “days when I didn’t want to do anything. Days when I was extra tired. Cycling anxiety thoughts in the middle of the night.” She reasoned, “I wouldn’t say I had clinical depression, but I was sad.”

In early 2023, Williams-Paisley was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia at the Vanderbilt Voice Center, which she described as when “the muscles in my neck were tensing up to help my vocal cords hit each other.” Trying to get her body to “unlock,” the star saw various specialists and tried everything from antidepressants to a vegan diet and even an astrologer.

“There were days when I grieved and sobbed,” said Williams-Paisley, who was convinced her voice was gone for good. “I wondered, ‘Who am I without my voice?’” However, at the beginning of the year, The Christmas Chronicles star began to see progress, as doctors were able to see that her left vocal cord wasn’t meeting the right due to a possible virus.

“Once I got that diagnosis, my body could relax in a whole new way,” she said. “The shame and blame dissipated. It was largely a technical issue, not something I did wrong.” Undergoing a three-hour procedure to move her left vocal cord to the right, Williams-Paisley “couldn’t believe” her voice returned immediately after surgery.

Today, the star said her voice is “much better” but not completely back to where it was. “I still can’t yell down the road. And at the end of a long day of talking, I’ll sound a little more raspy than I used to, but I think that’s sexy,” she said. “And I’ve learned that when you talk quieter, people lean in, which is not bad either.”