1000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton is letting fans in as she grieves the death of her late husband, Caleb Willingham.
“I hate getting on here and letting everybody see me like this,” Slaton, 36, said through tears while addressing followers in a selfie TikTok video on Sunday, July 2, explaining that she took to the app after seeing a fan comment that “touched my heart.”
“I’m in the stages of grief,” the TLC personality shared. “Yeah, we were having problems but I loved that man and I still do.”
Slaton — who confirmed Willingham’s death at age 40 on Saturday, July 1 — noted that she “won’t get into details of what happened,” due to the “personal” nature of her loss. “I know he’s looking down on me,” she added. “You know, he’s not in any pain anymore. I know he’s in a better place.”
As Slaton struggled to get through her message to fans, she wanted to make sure her followers knew how much both she and Willingham appreciated their support.
“Again, thank you all and I love you all from the bottom of my heart,” she concluded. “And believe it or not he really loved you all too.”
Slaton initially broke her silence on Willingham’s death on Saturday, sharing throwback photos of the couple via Instagram.
@tammyslaton2020 Replying to @sandracrause8 im sorry im crying but just because im crying doesn’t mean im not strong ive got this familystrongforcaleb🪽🩵💜🪽
“Rip sweet angel you will forever be missed and loved so much. Thank you Caleb for showing me real love and happiness ❤️❤️,” she captioned the images.
Slaton and Willingham met at an Ohio rehabilitation center in November 2021, where they were being treated for obesity-related issues. They tied the knot at the facility one year later.
In February, Slaton exclusively revealed to Us Weekly how she and Willingham supported each other “wholeheartedly.”
“On our weight loss journeys, when he’s having issues with wanting to eat because he’s bored or because he’s an emotional eater, he comes to me and we talk about the situation,” Slaton shared with Us. “It’s the same for me and I talk to him. We talk about our issues and why we feel this way. We are true partners.”
Slaton — who told Us that she fell in love with “literally everything” about Willingham upon meeting him in rehab — added: “He treats me so different from any other person I was with. He truly was a godsend [through my weight-loss efforts].”
Willingham, for his part, shared on a March episode of 1000-Lb. Sisters that “Tammy actually saved my life” during a scary moment in rehab.
“I was out of oxygen. I was sitting her hurting, in pain, tears falling down my face, and she got help,” he said at the time. “It meant the world to me because you showed kindness.”
