Michelle Williams' Painful Road to 45th Birthday: How the 'Dawson's Creek' Star Overcame Heartbreak of Losing Heath Ledger to Healing and Finding Love Again

Michelle Williams has had a complicated and emotional journey to her 45th birthday on Tuesday, September 9.

RadarOnline.com can reveal how the Dawson's Creek star overcame the heartache of losing her ex-boyfriend and baby daddy, Heath Ledger, to a drug overdose in 2008 and found love again on her healing journey.

In a rare moment, Williams recently opened up about Ledger during an appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast.

Williams said Ledger was "so special, so special" and reflected on their relationship, adding, "Thank God for Matilda," referring to her 19-year-old daughter she welcomed with her late ex in October 2005.

While discussing that whirlwind period of her life, the Greatest Showman actress said, "I suppose maybe it's a good thing about being young is that you don't have so much life experience that you can contextualize things. So, you're really just going with the flow."

Williams was filming on location in Sweden when she received news of Ledger's passing. While the co-parents weren't together at the time, the actress was devastated over his death. She had no choice but to pick up the pieces and embrace being a single parent.

The young mom continued working and later starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's psychological thriller Shutter Island. After its release, Williams took a year off from acting as she continued to grieve Ledger's death.

She said in a 2018 interview: "When you're a single parent, and that element of provider and protection is missing, it's scary."

The Blue Valentine star also used her grief to help others, saying: "When I meet people now who are grieving, the one thing I would say is, 'It's a decade. It's not a bad month or a year or two. It's a decade. So give yourself some time.'"

Williams took time adjusting to her new normal. In the years since Ledger's death, she has mostly lived life out of the spotlight, focused on raising Matila.

After privately dating, she decided to come forward with her relationship with ex-husband Phil Elverum in hopes of encouraging others who were grappling with moving on while grieving their spouses.

Sadly, Williams and Elverum's marriage didn't last, and they divorced in 2019. Despite all the heartbreak she had endured, Williams didn't give up on love.

She later met her current husband, Thomas Kail, with whom she tied the knot in 2020.

A source said: "She's found the stability she needs. She feels safe with him. He's her soulmate and confidant."

The insider also shared with Kail, 48, Williams finally has the family life she always dreamed of, adding: "She has the family she always wanted. She loves being at home, cooking, playing games, and taking walks around the neighborhood."