The former long-term partner of comedian and ABC presenter Wil Anderson has died.
Amy Williamson had been in an on-again-off-again relationship with Anderson, 52 – known for hosting the long-running panel show Gruen – for about 20 years before they reportedly split in 2023.
Inside Mail understands Williamson, who was believed to be in her mid-40s, died several months ago. The details of her passing have not been made public.
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A close friend announced her death with an Instagram post on March 16.
The announcement went unnoticed at the time and this article marks the first public acknowledgement of Williamson’s passing.
‘I don’t even know where to start and I definitely won’t be able to sum up what Amy meant to me,’ the friend wrote.
‘The most beautiful and terrifying woman I’ll ever know in this life.’
The friend went on to say she had ‘instantly bonded’ with Williamson when they first met.
Amy Williamson, the former partner of comedian Wil Anderson, has died. Williamson and Anderson were in a relationship for about 20 years before reportedly splitting in 2023
‘We instantly bonded, both being weird, silly, aesthetics obsessed, dark-humoured dog lovers with enough trauma bonding to fill an Olympic-sized pool,’ she said.
‘She was iconic, cool as f***, talented as hell, stunningly gorgeous, wild, scary and difficult, yet you’d never find a more loyal and loving friend.
‘Amy constantly checked in, sent presents, stayed in touch always. I could go on but in short I simply would not be here without her or Wil. Love never dies.’
Williamson and Anderson kept their turbulent relationship out of the spotlight; however, it is understood they were on and off during their two decades together.
One public split came around 2007/8.
At the time, the Gruen host told news.com.au that he was so heartbroken over their split that he could not stop crying for six weeks.
‘I’ve not been having the best trot in my personal life of late and recently found myself having a streak where I cried at least once a day for almost six weeks,’ he said.
‘It reached the point where, every time a pizza delivery boy arrived at the house, I had to pretend I’d just been chopping onions or watching the end of The English Patient.’
Inside Mail understands Williamson, who was believed to be in her mid-40s, died several months ago. The details of her passing have not been made public
It is unclear when Williamson and Anderson decided to rekindle their relationship, as they were rarely seen in public together and did not speak about their private lives.
However, it appears the couple stayed together until at least 2023.
In 2020, Anderson admitted he had to take stock of his life after he spent several years working away from home so much that it began to affect his relationships.
‘The last couple of years, particularly the last year, I was too busy. And I had to have a real look at my life,’ he told Stellar magazine.
At the time, he was co-hosting Triple M’s breakfast radio with Eddie McGuire, working on ABC’s Gruen, and doing several podcasts.
Anderson ultimately made the decision to quit radio and stop touring the US circuit because of the impact it was having on his relationships, including with Williamson.
‘Part of the reason we came back is it is hard on all your relationships… After a while you’re the friend who isn’t going to anything,’ he said.
Williamson and Anderson largely kept their turbulent relationship out of the spotlight
After Anderson sold his Vaucluse home in 2023 following their split, Williamson lashed out at the comedian on Instagram. However, it is understood she quickly deleted the inflammatory post (above) and later made peace with Anderson before her death
‘Already you’re the friend who isn’t available on Friday or Saturday, and then suddenly you’re not available for six months of the year.’
That same year, the couple relocated from Victoria to New South Wales, moving into the $1.9million Goonengerry home Anderson had bought from Williamson’s father.
At the time, he also owned a property in Vaucluse, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, which he had purchased for $1.35million in 2006.
Anderson previously shared on Triple M Melbourne’s Hot Breakfast the difficulties he and Williamson faced during the interstate move.
‘We were meant to be moving house at the end of the [Melbourne] Comedy Festival but that got moved forward,’ he told hosts McGuire and Luke Darcy.
He went on to say he and Williamson were forced to make the move during Covid lockdowns, which prevented them from getting any help.
By 2023, it would seem their relationship had broken down, though the pair never officially announced they had split.
Williamson faced legal troubles in September that year when she appeared before Mullumbimby Local Court, charged with assaulting a police officer.
Melbourne-based writer and actress Tamzen Hayes (right) revealed last month that she and Anderson had been in a relationship for the last two years
She entered a not guilty plea and her charges were later dismissed at a hearing on February 14, 2024, when she was ‘discharged into the care of a responsible person’.
It is understood that Williamson struggled with her mental health over the years.
Williamson was ordered by a judge to comply with a treatment plan, which included weekly appointments as well as dialectical and cognitive behavioural therapy.
She was also placed on a ‘harm-minimisation plan regarding alcohol… working towards abstinence’, and was required to attend domestic violence counselling.
Williamson was expected to attend regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and a wellbeing program, as well as abstain from using non-prescription drugs.
Just weeks after Williamson first appeared in court in September 2023, Anderson sold his Vaucluse property for more than $4million.
This did not appear to go over well with Williamson, who lashed out on her private Instagram account.
She shared a screenshot of a Realestate.com.au story and said the move lacked respect after ’18 years’ because she allegedly wasn’t told beforehand.
‘A “prefect” [sic] good boy won’t do that by any standard,’ she added.
Hayes shared a gallery of photos of the pair to Instagram, making it the first public confirmation that Anderson had split from Williamson and moved on
However, it is understood Williamson quickly deleted the inflammatory post – the full contents of which cannot be published for legal reasons – and later made peace with Anderson before her death.
When Inside Mail contacted Anderson’s publicist for comment about Williamson’s passing, she said: ‘I will not be asking Wil for comment or bringing it to his attention.’
After selling his Vaucluse home in 2023, Anderson was rumoured to be moving back to Victoria. This was seemingly confirmed by the recent debut of his new Melbourne-based girlfriend, Tamzen Hayes.
Hayes, a writer and actress, revealed last month that she and Anderson have been in a relationship for the last two years.
She shared a gallery of photos of the pair to Instagram, making it the first public confirmation that Anderson had split from Williamson and moved on.
The series of black-and-white photos captured several moments the couple had spent together since striking up a romance.
It began with a picture of them sharing a kiss before Hayes added several images of them going on numerous adventures together.
One such outing saw the couple smiling as they posed with a quokka.
Other photos provided a sneak peek into their life together, cooking at home and attending the Spilt Milk festival.
The gallery ended with a photo of a bed topped with two heart-shaped birthday cakes.
Hayes captioned the post, ‘2 years,’ alongside a red heart emoji.
