1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy Slaton Reveals How She Learned Husband Caleb Willingham Died

1000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton revealed how she learned that her husband, Caleb Willingham, died.

“I was sitting in the fetal position,” Tammy, 37, told People about learning about Caleb’s death on June 30 at the age of 40. “I got a text message from his friend up there and the text said, ‘Caleb’s not doing good. They’re in there working on him.’ ​Twenty minutes later he texted me back and said he was gone.”

The TLC personality said that she’s “doing fairly well” following his death, adding that she keeps him close by wearing a ring and a music note-shaped necklace that holds his ashes.

“He’s going to live on now forever because his memory is encapsulated,” Tammy explained. “Knowing that he’s with me, it’s helping me pass the day. I find myself grabbing my necklace and holding it a lot. When I take off my jewelry, I feel like it’s weird, separation anxiety. I start panicking.”

She added, “Every time I miss him, I can always look back at the show and watch it and see what made me happy again.”

The Kentucky native then shared that she doesn’t feel pressured to find someone new. “I’m not in any kind of rush right now to settle down or meet anybody,” Tammy stated.

Tammy and Caleb had a whirlwind romance, which began when they were both patients at Windsor Lane Rehabilitation Center in Ohio. The couple got married in November 2022 just two months after they met. While Tammy has said that Caleb was the love of her life, the pair were reportedly estranged when he died.

It’s not currently clear where Tammy and Caleb stood at the time of his passing, though the TV personality has made sure to pay tribute to her late husband on several occasions.

“I am devastated to share the news of my husband’s passing,” she said in a July 1 statement about his passing. “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.”

In July, Tammy broke down in tears while sharing insight into her grieving process. “I’m having stages of grief,” she told her social media followers. “Yeah, we were having problems, but I loved that man. I still do. I miss him like crazy. But I wanted to thank everybody for your comments. I appreciate them. I really do. We’re not going to get into the details of what happened. I think that, no offense, but that’s really personal.”

Her tributes continued on November 22 when Tammy remembered Caleb by posting a video via TikTok that included a photo of his urn, as well as their wedding pictures.

“The sunset was our thing,” she captioned the clip. “We would [sit] outside all afternoon until the sunset in this picture on Caleb’s [urn].”

Tammy also paid tribute to her late husband by sharing a snapshot of her taking in the sunset. “Even though I’m not in love with him I will always love him and miss him everyday,” she wrote. “Things will get better.”