Former Broadway dancer Zelig Williams is missing from his home in South Carolina, and certain details of the case, Williams’ social media history, and reports he exited one Broadway production for an unusual reason raise concerns over the former Hamilton cast member’s state of mind when he disappeared.
According to South Carolina police, Williams was last seen on the morning of Oct. 3, and his family reported him missing the next day. His family told South Carolina news outlet WACH that about 10 minutes after he left, Williams’ friend in New York contacted them to say they had received an SOS alert from Williams’ phone, which typically indicates an automobile crash.
Williams, however, was seen driving in South Carolina’s Congaree National Park area. His car was later found undamaged and abandoned at a trailhead nearby, and the reason for the SOS remains unexplained. Notably, Williams’ family said he left home without his medication. Local police said while the Williams’ whereabouts were currently being investigated as a missing persons case, foul play could not be ruled out.
Williams danced in Hamilton and MJ: The Musical
Williams moved to New York to pursue his dream of dancing on Broadway, and had recently returned home “to share his experiences and help others,” Mieoki Corbett-Jacobs, Williams’ aunt, said. As news spread that Williams had vanished, Hugh Jackman, who performed with Williams in the 2019 touring Broadway production of The Man. The Music. The Show shared an Instagram story asking anyone who “has any information as to the whereabouts of ZELIG WILLIAMS, please reach out to your local authorities.”
The nature of Williams’ medication was not disclosed, but several Reddit threads raised alarm over Williams’ past behaviors on Broadway and social media, indicating possible mental health issues. According to Reddit posts, Williams left the “MJ” case over what he called “witchcraft” on social media. Reddit comments explained it was a symbolic team-building exercise among cast members.
The 2021 discrimination complaint
Meanwhile, Williams may have been struggling to reconcile his religious faith with the issue of sexual orientation. In 2021, Hamilton cast member Suni Reid filed a discrimination complaint about the production. In it, Reid alleged that Williams made anti-LGBTQ+ statements in an Uber ride the performers shared.
Allegedly, Williams told Reid, “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,” and “I used to be gay, but I am not anymore, I prayed through it, if you don’t want to be gay anymore, we can pray together,” Reid’s complaint said.
Referring to the Williams investigation, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said, “We’ve searched on foot and in the air of various locations. Other investigative techniques that we will use involve cell phones and some other things that I don’t want to discuss at this point.”
Williams’ cousin, Mieoki Corbin-Jacobs, added, “We can’t describe it, its devastation. It’s devastation for someone who is so close to his family to just disappear like that…there’s no way to describe it.”
