Michelle Williams is opening up about her mental health journey following her unmasking as the Butterfly on Wednesday night’s broadcast of “The Masked Singer.”
“What better way than to emerge and say, ‘I’m taking my power back, I’m getting my strength back,’ ” Williams, 40, tells PEOPLE. ” ‘I’m going to be okay and start knocking these obstacles out.’ “
The songstress says she’s relieved to have her identity revealed because she no longer has to “lie.”
“It feels so good because I don’t have to lie,” she says. “I’ve been lying to my friends and family and the world since September!”
As previously reported… Williams sought treatment for depression last year, and she and her fiancé, pastor Chad Johnson, ended their engagement. The former Destiny’s Child singer also took a leave of absence from the Broadway production of “Once On This Island” on doctors’ orders.
She decided to return to the spotlight this year with “Masked Singer,” but admits she was still navigating her fragile mental state when production started.
Click here for her Q&A with PEOPLE about her #bounceback game.
