1000-Lb Sisters Star Tammy Slaton's Estranged Husband Caleb Willingham Dead At 40

Tammy Slaton's roller-coaster life took a tragic turn on July 1 with the death of Caleb Willingham. As reported by The U.S. Sun, the husband of the "1000-Lb Sisters" star died suddenly at age 40. While the cause hasn't been released, Willingham was under medical care for morbid obesity at the same rehab facility where he met and married Slaton. 

However, the couple's marriage was short-lived; just six months after their November 2022 wedding, they separated, and Slaton was reportedly in a rebound relationship with a man she'd met online. Still, she grieved the loss in an Instagram post with photos showing them in happier days. "RIP sweet angel you will forever be missed and loved so much thank you Caleb for showing me real love and happiness," she wrote. Fans rushed to offer condolences. "Caleb was an amazing man from what I saw of him," one noted. Another offered encouragement: "Gosh I'm so sorry to hear this. Best way to remember him is to keep on moving with your goals and your health, I'm sure he was extremely proud of you as many are."

As of this writing, none of Slaton's siblings — including Amy Slaton Halterman, Amanda Halterman, and Chris Combs — have commented on the loss of their brother-in-law.

Tammy Slaton and Caleb Willingham had only been seeing each other a few weeks when Willingham proposed to Slaton in the parking lot of the Ohio rehab facility where they lived. TLC captured the moment Slaton called her family to announce her engagement, and they were less than thrilled, to say the least (via YouTube). "She's always loved hard and loved fast," commented sister Amy Slaton, who is herself separated from her husband Michael Halterman. 

Her brother Chris Combs worried about the couple's future together. Tammy had made great progress with her weight loss and would soon be able to move back home to Kentucky, but Willingham was clearly nowhere near ready to live independently. "I think she might put herself in a predicament to get a heartbreak later," Combs said on-camera. "Because what happens if he's not able to ever leave that facility, and she's home?"

Despite their misgivings, her family presented a united front when Tammy wed Willingham at the rehab two weeks after their engagement. Tammy said the moment she approached the altar was "like God had opened the clouds and let the sunlight in." Willingham told his bride, "You made me a brand-new person...And I know we can take on the world." Sadly, Combs' prediction came true. Willingham never left the facility and reportedly Tammy became frustrated that he wasn't putting in the effort to get well. She and sister Amy are currently living together and moving on with their newly single lives.