Michelle Williams made the right decision bringing Busy Philipps as her date to the 2019 Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 22, months after splitting from husband Phil Elverum. The This Will Only Hurt a Little author was the epitome of a proud BFF all night.
While waiting to hear Williams’ name to be announced as the winner for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role of Gwen Verdon in FX’s Fosse/Verdon, Philipps, 40, helped keep her former Dawson’s Creek costar, 39, calm.
Philipps “gripped Williams’ hand and continued to rub her hand in circular motions to try and calm her,” an insider tells Us Weekly.
When Williams won, the Cougar Town alum screamed out loud before she broke down in happy tears. A man sitting close to Philipps handed her a Kleenex and she “seemed grateful,” the onlooker notes.
Leslie Bibb, who was also in the audience, “smiled and squeezed Busy’s shoulders,” the insider explained, noting that Philipps “looked like her No. 1 fan.” (Bibb has been dating Williams’ costar Sam Rockwell for more than a decade.)
During her powerful speech, Williams’ dedicated the award to her 13-year-old daughter, Matilda, whom she shared with the late Heath Ledger. The Dark Knight actor died at age 28 in January 2008 of an accidental drug overdose.
The ladies even shared a bathroom stall conversation at one point during the night, and took some time to primp in the mirror afterwards.
Following the show, the twosome briefly attended the ABC, Disney TV Studios, FX Networks, Hulu & National Geographic Emmy Award Nominees Party. “Michelle Williams and Busy Phillips walked into the party together arm in arm and smiling in their Emmys dresses,” a second source tells Us. “Michelle was holding her Emmy and they left an hour later.”
The night prior to the event, Philipps revealed to Us that she was set to attend the Emmys in Los Angeles alongside Williams.
“I’m Michelle’s date, of course, and she said she’s getting from texts from people, ‘Who’s going with you to the Emmys? Busy’s in New York!’ And she said, ‘Well, she’s flying back.’ So I’m leaving tonight,” Philipps told Us at the time.
The White Chicks actress added: “Michelle’s been nominated for some pretty big awards over the years and we’ve got our routine down. I’ve been so happy to be by her side for all of it and especially for this year with this Emmy nomination for Fosse/Verdon, I’m incredibly proud of the work that she did in this project. I’m hoping that she gets an Emmy. I just think her performance is so beautiful.”
The milestone moment in Williams’ career comes five months after Us confirmed that she and Elverum split after less than a year of marriage. The former couple secretly tied the knot in July 2018 in the Adirondacks.
