Here’s Why Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps Are #FriendshipGoals

Talk about having #FriendshipGoals.

Actress Michelle Williams, who was nominated for best supporting actress for her role in Manchester by the Sea, strolled down the Golden Globes red carpet with her BFF Busy Phillipps. The two women — who became friends about 15 years ago while on the set of Dawson’s Creek — posed for photos with their arms wrapped around each other. And at one point, Phillipps sweetly adjusted the black choker on Williams’s neck.

This is certainly not the first time 37-year-old Phillips — who’s been married to screenwriter Marc Silverstein since 2007 — has escorted 36-year-old Williams to a star-studded event, regardless of whether Williams was romantically involved with anyone at the time. In fact, just a few weeks ago, the duo appeared together at the screening of Williams’s most recent critically acclaimed film in New York.

“I’m here with my best friend,” Williams told People. “I’m so in love with her. She’s proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! That’s the love of my life right there.”

Their devotion to one another is not only admirable but also serves as a reminder that a committed relationship of the platonic kind can play just a vital role in life as one’s spouse or romantic partner.

“A best friend is somebody who gets you, somebody you don’t need to explain yourself to,” Robi Ludwig, a psychotherapist and author of Your Best Age is Now, tells Yahoo Beauty. “Somebody who is a cheerleader when you need them to be, a therapist when you need them to be, and silent when you need them to be.”

She explains that this type of closeness stems from the conversations women tend to have with one another.

“Sometimes women can be very nurturing, supportive, and encouraging in a way that’s slightly different [from relating to a male partner],” states Ludwig. “Even if men are really good at listening, there are different things that men want to hear.”

In many cases, men are wired to solve problems. “So they’re listening to an issue and they think of it in terms of how can I fix this, where women allow other women to just talk and vent — and not necessarily look for the solution,” said Ludwig.

In fact, this fundamental difference is present during childhood.

“What we do know about female friendships versus male friendships when they’re younger is that boys tend to have friendships based on activities, things they have in common,” continues Ludwig. “They’re not as intimate with each other, which is why boys — and men — can let go of a lot of things.”

Girls, on the other hand, “develop friendships and connections through talking, so everything is more intimate,” she said.

And science even backs up the importance of having a best friend. A study published by the American Psychological Association found that a BFF can “serve as protection against negative experiences.”

“In some cases, even more than family,” adds Ludwig.

Lastly, there’s the notion that we expect to live happily ever after with our best friend by our side — but perhaps not with our partner.

“While this could be for better or for worse, we tend to look at a romantic relationship of having the possibility of an end,” concludes Ludwig. “We don’t tend to look at our friendships in that way, but it doesn’t mean it’s not the case. We tend to look at female friendships as going the distance, as having the potential to be a lifetime relationship — which probably changes the dynamic, since it is also comforting on a subconscious level.”

In other words, friends who eat carbs together, stay together.

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