Fans know almost everything about Jesse Williams' "Grey's Anatomy" character Dr. Jackson Avery. However, Williams's personal life, including his relationships, is relatively unknown.
Born in Chicago in August 1981, Jesse Williams's acting career has been outstanding. Apart from his long and successful run in "Grey's Anatomy," he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for "Take Me Out."
The same day Williams received the nomination, footage of him performing a nude scene during the Broadway play went viral. The leaked photos and videos made people wonder about Williams's love life.
Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery in "Grey's Anatomy" in March 2016 | Source: Getty Images
IS JESSE WILLIAMS MARRIED?
Marriages are not always easy to keep, and Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee know it firsthand. The former couple tied the knot in 2012 and welcomed two kids: a girl named Sadie in 2013 and a boy named Maceo in 2015.
A few months before celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary, Williams and Drake-Lee parted ways. They finalized their divorce in 2020 and agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of their kids.
Jesse Williams on February 24, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Williams had to pay $40,000 each month in child support – a sum "temporarily modified" to $6,413 in April 2022. Although he kept the nearly $1 million earned from "Grey's Anatomy" since 2017, Drake-Lee retained the former family home in Los Angeles and two more properties in New York and Oakland.
Unfortunately, Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee's post-divorce relationship has been far from perfect. He tried to change the custody and visitation agreement, but the court didn't find enough reasons to modify the initial arrangement.
IS JESSE WILLIAMS DATING ANYONE?
After Drake-Lee, Williams was romantically involved with a few women, including "Zola" actress Taylour Paige. Paige grew up in Inglewood, California, has been a dancer since she was two years old, and debuted as an actress in "High School Musical."
Paige and Williams worked in "Grey's Anatomy" in 2016, but they officially met at Williams's Emmys party in September 2018, and it was love at first sight.
[Jesse Williams] was initially "terrified" of being naked onstage.
When Williams saw her, he was immediately drawn to her. They only stopped talking, laughing, and dancing at six in the morning.
Williams and Paige were convinced that they were meant to be together because Paige's healer told her that a "J" figure would approach her in a crowded space months before the Emmys party.
Paige also dreamed she was sleeping next to Williams the night before they met. Their love story is worthy of a Shonda Rhimes TV series.
WHAT DID JESSE WILLIAMS SAY ABOUT HIS LEAKED PHOTOS?
Although most people would worry about having nude photos of themselves on the internet, Williams did not pay too much attention to it because "it is just a body."
It is essential to point out that he was initially "terrified" of being naked on stage for "Take Me Out." However, he realized he asked God to give him the opportunity to work on something scary and challenging that made him feel alive and not comfortable. Ask, and you shall receive.
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