Why Tammy Slaton Felt Disrespected By TLC's Depiction Of Her Husband's Funeral

When reality star Tammy Slaton lost her husband, Caleb Willingham, in July 2023, she was left brokenhearted. She confirmed his passing to People, telling the outlet, "He was my best friend, and I loved him dearly." The two met in 2022 while Slaton was a patient at Windsor Lane Rehabilitation Center in Gibsonburg, Ohio, after having her bariatric surgery. Willingham was at the facility due to obesity. He popped the question in October 2022 and the two tied the knot the following month. However, by May 2023, Slaton and Willingham were headed to divorce court due to his lack of dedication to losing weight. He'd reportedly continued gaining pounds since the marriage, a clear indicator that he had not been following his diet. The distance certainly didn't make things any better once Slaton left Ohio to return to Kentucky, either. Sadly, he died before they could move forward with the split or have a chance at reconciliation. 

Now, Slaton feels that TLC made his death into a storyline, and she isn't too happy about it. The intimate event took place July 30 in Kentucky, with close loved ones gathering to pay their final respects to Willingham. Slaton was filmed at one point having an emotional moment during the service, though a source claims the day was more about celebrating his life than lamenting Williangham's death.

Burying a loved one can be extremely difficult. However, during Caleb Willingham's funeral ceremony, his widow Tammy Slaton reportedly chose to make the grim occasion as cheerful as possible. "The filming of the funeral was 'completely not natural, and things were put in there to make it seem sad when it really wasn't that sad," an insider told The Sun. "People were having fun, but [TLC producers] made it depressing."

This is not the first time that Slaton has been displeased with the network. In November 2021, she replied to a TikTok viewer revealing that despite popular belief, she is not as well-off as some would assume, writing in a now-deleted comment, "We're not rich. TLC is rich. They are making money off of us." Her TikTok account was then taken down before being reinstated without its previous content. 

In February 2023, both Slaton and her sister, Amy Halterman, were said to be exploring possibly ditching their TLC contracts due to low pay. In fact, as early as February 2022, Halterman was reportedly thinking of quitting "1000-Lb Sisters" as she felt she was neglecting her life off-camera.  Additionally, the sisters believed that producers were not accurately depicting their family.

In April 2023, reports surfaced that Tammy Slaton was falling back into old habits after undergoing bariatric surgery. This came after she was spotted with sister Amy purchasing junk food at a Walmart. Fans also shared these concerns following the death of her spouse, Caleb Willingham. Unfortunately, Slaton believes that the way TLC chose to document his funeral will only further perpetrate these types of rumors, leaving people to believe that her grief has led her to take up unhealthy eating habits again. However, a close friend of Slaton's who spoke to The Sun says this is not the case.  "She isn't emotionally relapsing or going back on her diet. She's doing great," Slaton's pal reportedly told the outlet.

Outside of her possible TLC drama, Slaton might be ready to return to the dating scene. In an August 11 TikTok, Slaton playfully shared several reasons why people should consider dating her. In the clip, multiple hearts with different answers shuffled on the screen before settling on three generated qualities about her. "Food is my love language," "good kisser," and "not a Gemini" stopped on the screen, sending the reality staple bursting into laughter. She has not yet revealed if she's found love again, but Slaton may already be on the rebound, having been linked to TikToker Greg Morgan. No matter her relationship status, hopefully, Slaton won't be forced to endure further uncomfortable filming.