Tammy Slaton
In early 2023, news began circulating online that Tammy Slaton of “1000-lb Sisters” fame was planning to start a new chapter in her life by becoming a mother – The Sun reported that Tammy’s family suspected that she was already pregnant by her eccentric husband, Caleb Willingham.
In the past, Tammy’s size and consequent health issues had prevented her from fulfilling her lifelong dream. Since her and her sister Amy’s reality show premiered on TLC in 2020, viewers have been rooting for both of the charismatic TV personalities. Tammy, especially, has become a fan favorite despite her instances of reckless behavior.
The rest of the cast of “1000-lb Sisters” – Amy’s husband, Michael Halterman; their pet dog, Little Bit; and other members of the Slaton clan such as Amanda, Chris, and Misty. Tammy and Amy’s brother Chris, joined his sisters on their weight loss journey as he was inspired by their progress; in fact, he is especially close to Tammy, and often accompanies her on her doctor’s visits.
During the show’s first season, Tammy lived with her sister and husband in Dixon, Kentucky; her weight-related health issues had led to the former being placed on life support two times before the series premiered. With time, Amy and Michael had two sons named Glenn Allen and Gage Deon Halterman, and it’s believed that Tammy’s desire to form her own family became even stronger after becoming an aunt.
Fans have often wondered how Tammy and Amy gained so much weight in the first place. As is often the case with morbidly obese adults, the sisters had a difficult childhood. Their mother, Darlene, was forced to work several jobs to make ends meet, leaving the girls in the care of their grandmother. When their grandmother died, Tammy and Amy began cooking for themselves, which is when their unhealthy eating habits began. Eventually, they both agreed that they needed to undergo a drastic weight loss journey, and believed that having their own TV show would motivate them to do so.
Since season one, Tammy’s goal was to lose enough weight to qualify for bariatric surgery, which consists in adjusting the patient’s intestinal hormone levels to help them lose weight faster. Although Amy soon managed to reach her goal weight and qualify for surgery, Tammy took much longer. Meanwhile, her day-to-day life was riddled with complications caused by her size; for example, when the reality TV star caught COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic, she was hospitalized and placed on supplemental oxygen.
Tammy’s weight loss journey has been anything but easy. In early 2022, she was criticized after being filmed eating pizza, taking shots of alcohol, and vaping even while hooked onto an oxygen machine – the videos were released shortly after Tammy checked herself out of a food addiction rehab center earlier than scheduled. It’s possible that Tammy’s shocking behavior was a result of her split from long-time boyfriend Phillip Redmond, popularly known as the “BBW (Big Beautiful Woman) King”.
Tammy’s family, especially Amy, always disapproved of Phillip, and believed that he was enabling Tammy’s unhealthy habits. In fact, the sisters even argued when Amy claimed that Phillip wouldn’t help Tammy on her weight loss journey, as he himself had previously said that he only wanted to date women who weighed over 300lbs (135kg). Although it’s evident that Phillip wasn’t the right partner for Tammy, she was particularly heartbroken when they split.
During the season three finale, which aired in February 2022, Chris revealed that his sister Tammy had been hospitalized because she couldn’t breathe, which saw her being placed on a ventilator and put into a medically induced coma; things got so bad that Amy and the rest of the Slatons began making funeral plans, just in case.
1000-Lb Sisters: Tammy Slaton Hospitalized After Her Breathing Seized #1000lbsisters #tammyslaton https://t.co/vx04IC94rf pic.twitter.com/6uVC0yysLZ
— The Nerd Stash (@thenerdstash) January 5, 2023
Tammy eventually awoke from her coma and underwent a tracheotomy. The TLC star spent almost a month in hospital, which saw her determined to take her weight loss regime much more seriously this time round. After returning to food addiction rehab for a second time, Tammy lost 115lbs (50 kilos) in just one month, and said that she planned to stay there until the end of summer.
While in rehab, Tammy met fellow food addict Caleb Willingham; the couple hit it off immediately and married at Windsor Lane Rehabilitation Center in November 2022. The intimate wedding ceremony, was attended by 30 friends and family members, and took place just a couple of weeks after Caleb popped the question.
In early 2023, Tammy finally reached her goal weight after almost a year of hard work. Naturally, her friends and family were all present to cheer her on as she left the rehab facility. While leaving the facility, Tammy was stunned to see her nearest and dearest waiting for her with confetti and celebratory posters, including a banner that read: “Go Queen Tammy! You did the damn thing”. “This is about me at the end of the day because I’m queen,” Tammy said laughingly after seeing the fanfare.
That day, Tammy also met her youngest nephew for the first time. Amy, meanwhile, was nervous about her sister undergoing bariatric surgery, because of the possibility of complications. Thankfully, Tammy’s operation went without a hitch and she expressed how thankful she was to her family for providing the unconditional support that helped her on this journey.
Since recovering from surgery, Tammy also appears to have become a lot closer to Amy. Fans are loving the positive developments in their relationship, as Tammy previously accused her sibling of animal abuse, and it’s also rumored that they had a falling out in 2015, when Amy created a GoFundMe for Tammy’s funeral expenses… despite Tammy being alive and well.
Although Amy and the rest of the Slatons have their reservations about Tammy’s husband Caleb, they are currently all on good terms. Season 4 of “1000-lb Sisters” premiered in mid-January 2023, and has received glowingly positive reviews; naturally, the focus of this season is Tammy’s wedding, and the other changes in her personal life.
Amy, Tammy and Chris are currently renegotiating their contracts with TLC, after it was revealed that Tammy only earns up to $2,500 per episode, despite the show’s fantastic viewing figures. Tammy allegedly spent all her savings on 14 months of rehab for her almost deadly food addiction, and apparently, she and her siblings believe that they could be earning much more money elsewhere. As we don’t have details of their negotiations, only time will tell if the Slaton sisters renew for a fifth season… dedicated fans will hope so.
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