Paramore's Hayley Williams Breaks Silence On Ex-Husband Chad Gilbert's Death

Hayley Williams is paying tribute to her ex-husband Chad Gilbert ... days after the New Found Glory guitarist's death.

On Wednesday, the Paramore frontwoman posted an emotional goodbye to Chad, who passed away on September 20 after a cancer battle.

Hayley remembered Chad as "a legend in the scene" and said, "My time connected to him taught me a lot."

The singer said Chad introduced her to people who continue to "shape my life in beautiful ways, and to music and culture that has made life a lot richer."

Hayley said she was unsure if it was appropriate to comment on Chad's passing, whom she was married to from 2016 to 2017 ... but she ultimately decided to break her silence because, "life is made of the paths we cross, and the reasons we cross them are infinite."

She said he was an influential musician who she admired ... adding, "I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore."