Kim Ledger, the father of the late actor Heath Ledger, had nothing but kind words for Michelle Williams after news she secretly wed musician Phil Elverum earlier this month was made public. Williams is Heath's ex-girlfriend, with whom she shares a daughter named Matilda. Since Heath's tragic passing at the age of 28 ten years ago, Michelle has made sure to keep close to his parents, who live in Australia, so Matilda could have a relationship with her grandparents.
“We are terribly happy, it is great,” Kim said about Michelle's wedding during an interview with The Goss. “She’s very private and I don’t really like to make too many comments about her. But we are very happy [for her].” Kim has not yet met Michelle's new husband, though he says he hopes he gets the chance to soon.
Michelle opened up about her secret nuptials to Vanity Fair, saying that "never gave up on love" after Heath's passing. She also revealed that she shares a “very sacred and very special romance” with her new husband, partly because he knows what it's like to lose a partner. Phil's wife passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2016, just 16 months after the birth of their daughter Agathe.
“Obviously I’ve never once in my life talked about a relationship, but Phil isn’t anyone else. And that’s worth something,” the 38-year-old actress told Vanity Fair. “Ultimately the way he loves me is the way I want to live my life on the whole. I work to be free inside of the moment. I parent to let Matilda feel free to be herself, and I am finally loved by someone who makes me feel free.”
The Dawson's Creek alum has found love after loss, though she makes sure to keep Heath's memory alive for their daughter. “I always say to Matilda, ‘Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes.’” She has some words of wisdom for anybody who "has struggled as much as [she] struggled" and that is: “Don’t settle. Don’t settle for something that feels like a prison, or is hard, or hurts you. If it doesn’t feel like love, it’s not love.”