Kimberly Williams-Paisley opened up about the sudden onset of symptoms she experienced due to a vocal disorder that left her unable to speak for two years.
The 53-year-old actress’ medical ordeal began in November 2022 when she attempted to welcome guests at an annual Alzheimer’s fundraiser honoring her late mother, Linda Williams, who died from dementia at the age of 73 in 2016.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Williams-Paisley, who is hosting the new season of the reality dating show “Farmer Wants a Wife,” recalled the frightening moment during the event when she realized that she couldn’t speak.
“It was definitely a dramatic change for me,” the “Father of the Bride” star said. “It was very embarrassing. I was on stage about to give a speech and suddenly had no voice.”
“And the next day, it wasn’t back,” she continued. “And then a couple of weeks later, it still wasn’t back. It sort of sounded very whispery and quiet. Kind of like I’d been at a rager or I was getting sick. A lot of people thought I was sick.”
During a December 2024 interview with People magazine, Williams-Paisley revealed that she had been diagnosed with a vocal disorder.
Williams-Paisley told the outlet that in January 2023, she visited Nashville, Tennessee’s Vanderbilt Voice Center, where health professionals previously treated celebrities such as Johnny Cash and Wynonna Judd. The actress was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia after doctors discovered that she had a partial paralysis of her left vocal cord.
Muscle tension dysphonia is a change in the sound or feel of a person’s voice due to excessive muscle tension in and around the voice box, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
For the next year, Williams-Paisley struggled with her inability to speak louder than a whisper. The actress attempted to treat her condition, but her voice did not return.
Williams-Paisley told the outlet that she tried both traditional and unorthodox methods, including “antidepressants, Invisalign braces, a vegan diet, hypnosis, a psychic – even an astrologer.”
During that time, Williams-Paisley said she felt her acting career was in jeopardy or potentially over for good.
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“It was a rough road for a couple of years and I didn’t really do any work during that time as I was trying to find my voice again,” she said during her interview with Fox News Digital.
In August 2024, Williams-Paisley underwent a three-hour laryngoplasty surgery, during which doctors at the Voice Center placed an implant into her weak left vocal cord to move it closer to her right vocal cord. Williams-Paisley regained her ability to speak out loud again immediately following the surgery.
“I couldn’t believe it was true,” she told People.
While reflecting on her experience, Williams-Paisley shared her tips for people facing similar health challenges.
“The advice I would give is if something like that happens, don’t just keep drinking honey tea – actually go see a doctor,” she said. “I just didn’t realize there was anything that could be done.”
She continued, “The surgery I wound up having, they do like once a week. I don’t know how common what I have is, but there are things that can done.”
Williams-Paisley also explained there were “silver linings” amid her health struggles.
“I have grown stronger in so many ways,” she said. “I think a lot of times when we face something like this, it helps lift us up in other areas of our lives. And so I worked on, ‘What other ways can I use my voice?’ And I started writing, and I journaled a lot and I got stronger, and I started lifting weights and I started meditating. So there are all these silver linings that I’m really grateful for.”
Williams-Paisley is serving as the host of the FOX reality dating show “Farmer Wants a Wife.”
The “According to Jim” alum stepped in for Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles as emcee for the show’s third season, which premiered on March 20.
“Farmer Wants a Wife” follows four farmers as they search for love among a group of 32 women hailing from big cities across the country. Colton Hendricks, John Sansone, Matt Warren and Jay Woods are the farmers featured in season three of the show.
WATCH: ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ host Kimberly Williams-Paisley shares how she can relate to contestants on reality show
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Williams-Paisley shared her excitement over her new role and returning to the small screen for the first time following her health struggles.
“I’m grateful to be on the other side of it and back at work in this role, which is so different for me to just show up as myself, and I really have enjoyed it,”
“That was an interesting new twist for me,” she added.
The “Nashville” actress explained that she connects with the concept of the series due to her marriage of over 20 years to country star Brad Paisley.
“I can relate to the essence of this show because I’m from New York and I wound up marrying a country boy,” she said. “So I get it. I get the appeal, and we’ve been married a long time. So I would say it’s fairly successful. So I understand what makes it work. And I’m really enjoying watching this show because I only got to see bits and pieces when we were filming. So it’s fun now to go back and see them put it all together.”
Williams-Paisley also reflected on the secret behind her successful relationship with the “She’s Everything” singer, revealing that the two aren’t able to pinpoint exactly how long they have been married.
“We can’t seem to get it right, because the other day I asked Brad if it was 22 or 23. He had no idea,” she said. “And then we just talked to another couple that had been married like 53 years, and they got married the same year [we did].”
Williams-Paisley continued, “So I was like, ‘OK, it must be 23. But then someone just corrected me right before the interview and said, ’No, it’s 22.’ So who knows? So maybe that’s part of it. It’s like, don’t keep track of time. Just let it go and enjoy.”
WATCH: Kimberly Williams-Paisley shares secret to longtime marriage with country star Brad Paisley
“Then I would also say keeping a sense of humor is very important,” she added. “And that’s something we’ve been able to do. Just find what you can laugh at. I think that’s really important.”
Paisley shared his own relationship advice when he made a cameo on the April 10 episode of “Farmer Wants a Wife.”
During his appearance, the 52-year-old West Virginia native addressed concerns shared by the farmers over how the “big city” contestants who are vying for their hearts would adapt to country life.
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“I think it’s a better match sometimes,” Brad said via People magazine. “When vicariously, you’ll get to fall in love with the country again, through them.”
The three-time Grammy Award winner recalled that he knew Paisley-Williams “was the one” when he watched her star in her breakthrough role as Steve Martin and Diane Keaton’s daughter in 1991’s “Father of the Bride.”
After Brad asked the farmers about how many contestants they had eliminated so far, Hendricks, Sansone and Woods told him that they had each said goodbye to one woman, while Warren admitted that he couldn’t bring himself to send any of his five candidates home.
“You can’t just pick five, these aren’t baseball cards,” Brad said. “Whoever it is that you start to find yourself really nervous around, is probably the one.”
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During her interview with Fox News Digital, Williams-Paisley raved over having her husband make an appearance on the reality series.
“It was great, I was so glad he was up for it, and he enjoyed it,” she said. “He enjoyed meeting the guys. One of them, Matt, had been to one of his shows, they knew his music, so I think it was fun for him to be on the show and impart some wisdom.”
Williams-Paisley also shared her thoughts on what fans should take away from the third season of the show.
“I think enjoy the ride, know that nothing’s being fabricated as far as connection or not connection – that really people are working behind the scenes to help facilitate the environment for romance and the motives are true,” she said.
“They really want to find love and the producers want these couples to find love,” Williams-Paisley continued. “What you see happening is real. That stuff’s not made up. I also love that this show is a little bit more wholesome and old-fashioned. I think it’s sweet.”
“People aren’t trying to trip up the contestants or get people drunk or create scandal. That stuff is happening on its own,” she added with a laugh.
The third season of “Farmer Wants a Wife” is currently airing on FOX and the show is also available to stream on Hulu.
