Chad And Michelle's Wedding: What Went Wrong?

Michelle Williams and Chad Johnson's wedding didn't happen as the couple ended their engagement in 2018. The Destiny's Child singer and the pastor had a rocky relationship, with Williams revealing that she broke off the engagement twice in three months during a depressive episode. Despite this, the couple were still undergoing pre-marital counselling and starring in the OWN reality series Chad Loves Michelle. However, Williams ultimately called off the engagement for good in December 2018, citing the need for healing and not wanting to destroy another relationship.

Michelle Williams and Chad Johnson's relationship timeline

Michelle Williams and Chad Johnson's relationship began in March 2017 when they met at an Arizona spiritual retreat run by Johnson, a life coach and pastor who has worked as a chaplain for sports teams. Williams, a singer formerly of Destiny's Child, was seeking "a message of hope and restoration, rejuvenation — [to] get connected to God." Johnson could relate, having "all but given up on dating" at the time.

The couple hit it off immediately, but both remained focused on the retreat. They kept in touch after the retreat, and Johnson was encouraged by a friend to pursue Williams. He attempted to flirt over text, but Williams' response made him think he had ruined their friendship. However, about a week later, Williams slid into his DMs, responding to an Instagram Story. They spent the next three months building a strong foundation through text messages and frequent late-night FaceTime calls.

In July, while on their first date at a wedding in the Dominican Republic, they shared their first kiss and made their relationship official. Williams knew what she had with Johnson was special, and she soon introduced him to her friends, including former Destiny's Child members Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. Johnson supported Williams as she shared her struggles with mental health issues.

In February 2018, Johnson secretly travelled to Williams' native Rockford, Illinois, to ask for her family's blessing before proposing. On March 21, exactly one year after their first text exchange, Johnson brought Williams back to the Pebble Beach, California, hotel where their texting banter began to ask for her hand in marriage. Williams started weeping and wailing as Johnson got down on one knee and presented her with a 5-carat engagement ring.

The couple announced their engagement in April 2018 and were the subject of the OWN reality series "Chad Loves Michelle," which focused on their intensive pre-marital counseling. They planned to marry in the summer, but in October, Williams revealed that she had secretly broken off the engagement just weeks after Johnson proposed. She fell into a deep depression that impacted all aspects of her life and caused her to question her worthiness of being Johnson's wife.

Despite their struggles, the couple worked on their relationship and underwent individual and premarital counseling. They got back together and continued to plan their wedding, which was to take place in the summer of 2019. However, in December 2018, Williams announced that she and Johnson had ended their engagement. She shared the news on Instagram while promoting her new single, "Fearless," writing, "I still remain fearless. I guess I still remain single! Things didn't work out. The healing that needs to take place is a must! I don't wanna destroy another relationship. Blessings to him, his family, and ministry."

The couple's engagement

Michelle Williams and Chad Johnson's engagement was a long time coming. The couple first met in March 2017 at an Arizona spiritual retreat run by Johnson, a life coach and pastor who has also worked as a chaplain for pro sports teams. Williams, a singer formerly of Destiny's Child, was in a dark place and wanted to get connected to God. Johnson could relate, having all but given up on dating.

Though they hit it off immediately, both Williams and Johnson remained focused on the purpose of the retreat. However, they kept in touch after parting ways, and Johnson was encouraged by a friend to pursue Williams. He attempted to flirt over text, but Williams' response made him think he had ruined their friendship. Thankfully, Williams soon slid into his DMs, responding to an Instagram Story.

The pair's conversations soon moved from social media to text messages and frequent late-night FaceTime calls. They spent almost three months building a strong foundation for their relationship without even seeing each other. In July, while on their first date at a wedding in the Dominican Republic, they shared their first kiss and decided to date officially.

Williams knew early on that her relationship with Johnson was special. She felt she could be herself around him and even introduced him to her friends, including former Destiny's Child members Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, something she had not done with past boyfriends. Johnson, for his part, saw beyond Williams' pop stardom to the humble person underneath.

In February 2018, Johnson secretly travelled to Williams' native Rockford, Illinois, to ask her family for their blessing. He then brought Williams back to the Pebble Beach, California, hotel where their relationship began and proposed to her on March 21, exactly one year after they first connected. Johnson got down on one knee and presented Williams with a 5-carat engagement ring that he had spent 11 years saving for.

The couple announced their engagement in April 2018 and were the subject of the OWN reality series "Chad Loves Michelle," which focused on their intensive pre-marital counselling. However, despite their plans to marry in the summer of 2018, they ended their engagement in December of that year.

Michelle Williams' hospitalisation

Michelle Williams has a history of depression, saying that she has "been suffering since the ages of 13 and 15". During her time with Destiny's Child, she confided in their manager, Mathew Knowles, about her feelings, but he did not understand. He pointed to the good side of their newfound fame, responding: "You all just signed a multi-millionaire dollar deal, you're about to go on tour, what have you got to be depressed about?"

In 2018, Williams broke off her engagement with Chad Johnson twice in three months. She admitted that she had questioned life and was so angry that she drove herself to an LA hospital. Days later, she checked into a treatment facility.

Williams first battled depression as a teen, and her mental illness was exacerbated during the height of her fame with Destiny's Child. When the familiar feelings of hopelessness began to settle back in, she brushed her demons under the rug to focus on her Coachella performance. After the performance, she hit her breaking point. "I'd been there before in that darkness,' she said. "I was like, 'No, you better go [to the hospital].' By the time I got there, I was stable."

The pair's reality TV show

Michelle Williams and Chad Johnson's relationship was a rollercoaster ride, and their reality TV show, "Chad Loves Michelle", gave fans an intimate glimpse into their lives. The show, which aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network, showcased the couple's journey from their engagement to their eventual breakup, with a focus on their pre-marital counselling sessions.

The show was unique in that it offered an unscripted and raw look into the couple's lives, with both Michelle and Chad being executive producers and having a say in what made it to air. The premiere episode, "Save the Date", chronicled their courtship and proposal story, with a highlight being Michelle's excited scream of "Beyoncé and Kelly, he put a ring on it!".

However, the show also delved into more vulnerable topics, such as Michelle's struggle with mental health issues like depression. It followed their bumpy road to the altar, including their decision to practice abstinence until marriage, and their premarital therapy sessions. In one episode, Michelle opened up about her depression and how it impacted her relationship, revealing that she had broken off the engagement at one point because she felt unworthy and like Chad would be better off without her.

The show also offered a look into their lives beyond their relationship, with episodes focusing on family, finances, gender roles, and other topics that are important to discuss before marriage. Through their show, Michelle and Chad wanted to offer hope, inspiration, and strength to their viewers, believing that change in society starts at home.

While their relationship ultimately didn't work out, "Chad Loves Michelle" provided an honest and vulnerable portrayal of a couple navigating the challenges of love, mental health, and pre-marital life.

Their break-up

Michelle Williams and Chad Johnson's relationship was not without its challenges. The couple had their ups and downs, with Williams revealing that she had broken off the engagement twice in three months during a depressive episode. Williams had struggled with depression for years, and despite finding solace in Johnson, the engagement brought up buried feelings of insecurity. She had not witnessed healthy conflict resolution growing up and had her heart broken by exes, which made her ready to fight in this relationship.

Williams and Johnson met in March 2017 at a spiritual retreat in Arizona, where Johnson was a pastor and life coach. They hit it off immediately but remained focused on the retreat's purpose. After parting ways, they kept in touch, and Johnson eventually pursued Williams. They spent three months building a strong foundation through text messages and frequent late-night FaceTime calls before their first date and first kiss in July.

Despite the strong start to their relationship, Williams broke off the engagement just weeks after Johnson proposed in March. She fell into a deep depression that impacted all aspects of her life, including her new engagement. She felt overwhelmed and insecure, and these feelings led her to push Johnson away. However, Johnson supported her through her hospitalization and treatment, and the couple underwent intense individual and premarital counseling.

The couple got back together, and in April 2018, they announced their engagement and plans to marry in the summer. They were the subject of the OWN reality series "Chad Loves Michelle," which focused on their relationship and pre-marital counseling. However, in December 2018, Williams announced that she and Johnson had ended their engagement. She shared the news on Instagram while promoting her new single, "Fearless."

In a candid interview, Williams revealed that her mental health struggles had impacted her relationship with Johnson. She broke up with him and called off the engagement, feeling that he didn't want a depressed wife. Despite this, Johnson stayed by her side, and they continued to work on their relationship. However, in July, just hours before checking herself into an LA hospital, Williams broke up with Johnson again.

Williams acknowledged that her mental health issues had affected her relationship with Johnson, and she felt unworthy of being his wife. She questioned why he would want her and considered herself unworthy. Despite these challenges, the couple continued to work on their relationship, and Johnson supported Williams through her mental health struggles.

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