Kimberly Williams-Paisley: Actress has her voice back

Kimberly Williams-Paisley (53) literally has her voice back. The actress, known from “Father of the Bride”, could only whisper for almost two years,

The first time she lost her voice was at a charity event in November 2022 where she wanted to speak on stage. “I held the microphone to my mouth and nothing came out. It was terrible,” the actress remembers.

Muscle tension dysphonia was diagnosed in a specialist clinic. It began an ordeal that spanned nearly two years, during which Williams-Paisley tried numerous treatments to help herself – from antidepressants to a vegan diet to hypnosis. She even asked a clairvoyant and an astrologer for advice.

“I felt trapped in my own body,” said the actress about the challenging time. During this time, she turned down social events, invitations and job offers: “I love dinner parties and being with people, but I didn’t want to go out anymore,” she says. “I couldn’t take part in the conversations.” Worrying symptoms that could indicate a depressive mood were added: “Days when I didn’t feel like doing anything. Days when I was particularly tired. Anxiety thoughts circling in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t say that I had clinical depression, but I was sad.”

After a year of physical therapy and wearing a mouthpiece that allowed her muscles to relax, doctors examined her vocal cords again. The experts were now able to determine that the left vocal cord did not meet the right one. In August this year, the actress underwent a three-hour operation that straightened her vocal cords. Immediately afterwards she was able to speak again.

Today her voice is “much better,” although still not perfect – she can’t scream down the street, says Williams-Paisley. She also learned a lot from her two-year ordeal: “I don’t want to leave anything unsaid. I never want to take my voice for granted – and I want to use it courageously.”