'1000-Lb. Sisters' Star Tammy Slaton on Caleb Willingham Relationship: 'I Loved That Man’
The reality star misses her late husband 'like crazy' and thanked fans for their support
Tammy Slaton/Instagram
Tammy Slaton reflects on her relationship with her late husband Caleb Willingham in a new TikTok.Tammy Slaton got emotional reflecting on her relationship with her husband Caleb Willingham days after his death at age 40.
The 1000-Lb. Sisters star, 36, broke down in a TikTok video on Sunday, the first time she's appeared on camera since losing Willingham.
"I hate getting on here and letting everybody see me like this," she began the video, with tears streaming down her face.
“I’m in the stages of grief. Yeah, we were having problems, but I loved that man and I still do,” she continued. "I miss him like crazy but I wanted to thank everybody for your comments."
The reality star said she wasn't going to "get into the details" of what happened and what problems she and her husband were having. "No offense, but it's really personal," she explained.
She then shouted out a fan whose comment she pinned to the upper corner of her video. “Tammy, Jesus will be with you every step of the way holding you tight [through] this difficult time [you’re] going through. Be strong," the comment read.
Slaton explained to her followers that she decided to make the video because the comment "touched my heart."
“I’m aware he’s looking down on me. I know he’s not in pain anymore. I know he’s in a better place,” she said, before signing off with one more note of gratitude for her supportive fan base.
”I love you all from the bottom of my heart," she told her fans. "Believe it or not, he really loved you all, too.”
Tammy Slaton/Instagram
Tammy Slaton confirmed her husband Caleb Willingham's death on July 1.Slaton confirmed the news of Willingham's death to PEOPLE on Saturday. “I am devastated to share the news of my husband’s passing," she said in an exclusive statement. "He was my best friend and I loved him dearly."
"When I met Caleb he became my guardian angel and now he really is watching over me. Our families appreciate everyone’s sympathy and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
She also paid tribute to him in an Instagram post Saturday, writing, “Rip sweet angel you will forever be missed and loved so much thank you Caleb for showing me real love and happiness ❤️❤️."
Slaton and Willingham met at Windsor Lane Rehabilitation Center in Gibsonburg, Ohio, in 2022. He proposed in October, and in November, PEOPLE exclusively revealed that the couple had married. They tied the knot at the rehab center, surrounded by an intimate group of just 30 friends and family members.
"You all knew me as Tammy Slaton, but now you'll all know me as Mrs. Tammy Willingham," Tammy said at the time. "I'm married now!"
Since Willingham's death, his friends have been posting touching tributes to him on social media. His cousin Amber Brandon Clark wrote on Facebook Saturday, “Yesterday, I lost my cousin, Caleb Willingham. My friend since birth, my buddy, my home skillet, and the sweetest guy. It still doesn't seem real. I already miss him so much, but I know he's at peace now. Rest easy, cuz. I love you, Kay-Kay.”
"I can't believe I'm even making this post, but today GOD called my big brother home," wrote Facebook user I'am Willc, who shared a picture of Willingham in front of a microphone. "R.I.P. Caleb Willingham aka Killla K aka Double K aka one half of the dynamic WWF tag team champions The W Boys aka my biggest supporter in anything I do. You will be forever loved and missed. Until we meet again."
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Slaton also shared heartfelt messages from friends after they reposted her own sentimental tribute to her late husband on their Instagram pages.
“Sending love to @queentammy86 and her family today 💕💕💕," YouTuber Zachary Mike wrote.
“Everyone keep @queentammy86 in your thoughts today, please," fitness influencer Tiffany Murray-Dickinson shared on her Instagram Story. "I can’t imagine, so sad. 🥺❤️."
"My sweet friend lost her husband," Jordan Lobes wrote on his account. "Please keep her and her family in your thoughts, friends."
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