CRIME & COURTS

Zelig Williams: Details Surface About Missing Dancer

Could his decision to shun the Big Apple’s brightest lights have anything to do with his disappearance?

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As friends and family members continue searching for missing Broadway star Zelig Williams, new details are emerging about his life – and his mental health. Williams was last seen leaving his Columbia, South Carolina home on October 3, 2024. His mother contacted authorities 24 hours later on October 4 when he failed to return or make contact – which was out of character, according to her.

Williams’ vehicle was discovered more than 20 miles away in a Palmetto Trail parking lot near the Congaree National Park.

Williams’ family is trying to remain hopeful as the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) continues to lead the search. Sheriff Leon Lott has called it a missing person case but added they haven’t ruled out foul play.   

Adding to the many questions about Williams’ disappearance, family members say an SOS alert was received shortly after his departure – indicative of a crash — but based on the state of his recovered vehicle, it was not involved in any crash. RCSD is investigating this strange detail. Family members are also concerned that Williams left home without needed prescription medication – but no further information has been provided about the nature of this medical necessity. 

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From a young age, Williams was viewed as a phenom – a future star. Teachers and friends also described him as being very kind. 

It was always Williams’ dream to live in New York City and perform on Broadway, yet at what was arguably the height of his stellar career (so far), he quit the Broadway show for which he was an original cast member and moved home to Columbia.

What prompted this decision? And, could his shunning of the Big Apple’s brightest lights have had anything to do with his disappearance?

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SUCCESS AND STRUGGLE…

Williams’ life has changed significantly over the past year. Through it all, he spoke openly of his successes and his struggles on social media – and on a podcast he created specifically for that purpose called HuMan in the Mirror (under the name Zelig Will). Two episodes of the podcast from January 2024 can be found on YouTube and other platforms. 

Behind the scenes Williams also took to social media to announce some of the big changes in his life – and to offer encouragement to others who were similarly struggling. In an Instagram reel on December 8, 2023, Williams shared his testimony that “I’ve been delivered from homosexuality”.

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Williams explained that he was “molested” as a child – an event that left him questioning his identity and his sexuality – and which compromised his mental health. He said it took him a long time to find out who he was. He described being torn and miserable by the conflict between his religious beliefs and his former lifestyle. 

“That moment changed my life,” he said. “It changed my life and not in the best way for me. I hated myself. I truly hated myself, and God was talking to me, and that’s why I started my podcast. Y’all that’s why I started it. That’s why I started my podcast, so I can speak out. But I was still struggling, and I apologize for anyone who listened to me while I was not walking in my words.”

Williams also shared his struggle on social media…

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In his podcast on January 27, 2024, Williams explained that for the first time since he embarked on his Broadway adventure, he was without a job.

“I’m a professional performer, dancer, actor, singer,” Williams said. “I worked on Broadway. I’ve done the thing. This is my first time as a professional performer not having a job and I’m in a new season of transition and I’m on the journey. So I’m in a new pocket right now – and so I’m just sharing.”  

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The rising star made his debut as part of the Hamilton ensemble from October 11, 2016 – February 5, 2017, according to Playbill. In 2019, he toured with Hugh Jackman in The Man. The Music. The Show. In 2020, Williams won the role of Marlon Jackson in the original Broadway cast of MJ the Musical. The show opened February 1, 2022 and he quit the show December 23, 2023.

Social media threads about his leaving speculate that Williams had an issue with an opening night ritual he took to be a kin to witchcraft.

“I’m not sure what parts of that are true and what is rumor,” a source close to the family told this media outlet.

Without going into specifics, Williams attributed his change of plans to his religious beliefs. 

“I was on MJ the Musical, but I left,” he said on his podcast. “God was like, ‘It’s time to go’ – so I picked up my things, and I moved on.”

Just before his separation from the musical, Williams appears in a Christmas video from the cast released on December 14, 2023. 

Whatever happened with the show, there were other signs of his personal struggles as evidenced in a discrimination lawsuit filed against the producers of Hamilton in October 2021 by Suni Reid – a trans performer who claimed his contract with the popular musical was not renewed because he had requested gender neutral dressing rooms.

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(ZeligWill)

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A supplement (.pdf) to Reid’s complaint detailed one of his alleged interactions with Williams.

“In early 2019, (Reid) took an Uber home with (Williams),” the supplement noted. “During this Uber ride, Williams began making extremely aggressive and anti-LGBTQ+ statements and declarations to (Reid), including, ‘darkness has your soul,’ ‘if you hear a voice in your head that says break up with (your boyfriend) you should because that’s God trying to save you,’ ‘I used to be gay but I am not anymore, I prayed through it, if you don’t want to be gay any more, we can pray together.'”

Despite Reid’s take on Williams’ comments, Williams was apparently not alone in his way of thinking. 

“(Reid) confided in Carvens Lissaint (who played George Washington) about what had happened with Williams during their car ride,” the supplement continued. “Lissaint simply responded, ‘that doesn’t sound crazy at all, I have been praying with him.’ (Reid) became afraid that both Mr. Williams and Mr. Lissaint viewed (him) in aggressively anti-LGBTQ+ terms and were attempting to ‘pray the gay away’ with regard to (Reid).”

When Williams returned to his South Carolina home, he immediately set about scheduling dance workshops and collaborative efforts.  Less than a week prior to his disappearance on September 27 – 28, 2024, Williams facilitated a dance audition workshop at the Palmetto Performing Arts Center called Redemption: Broadway Bootcamp 2024.

More than ten days have passed since Williams went missing. According to the sheriff’s office incident report, Williams was “spotted driving in the area of the Congaree National Park” and his vehicle “has since been located… off Bluff Road.”

Investigators are asking anyone with information on Williams’ whereabouts to call RCSD at 803-576-3000 or contact Crime Stoppers at CrimeSC.com.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Callie Lyons (provided)

Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.

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3 comments

Nanker Phelge October 14, 2024 at 4:05 pm

“And, could his shunning of the Big Apple’s brightest lights have had anything to do with his disappearance?”

I have no idea wtf this weird question is supposed to mean.

Reply
Casey October 20, 2024 at 5:39 pm

The question is asking did he come up missing because he left the Broadway show did someone of the power players made him disappear.

Reply
Casey October 20, 2024 at 5:41 pm

The question is asking did he come up missing because he left the Broadway show. Did one of the power people aka a producer/investor make him disappear.

Reply

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