1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy and Amy Slaton Talk Divorce, Caleb’s Death and How They’re Moving Forward (Exclusive)

Over the years, fans of 1000-Lb. Sisters have been able to witness the emotional weight loss journeys of  Tammy and Amy Slaton, while also getting a candid view of the sisters’ love lives.

After a year of loss — Tammy’s husband Caleb Willingham died earlier this year and Amy’s marriage to Michael Halterman ended in turbulence — the sister duo is opening up about how they’re trying to move forward.

Tammy, 37, met Willingham at Windsor Lane Rehabilitation Center in Gibsonburg, Ohio, while she was there working on her own weight loss journey. The two fell in love and quickly married in November 2022.

He was the love of her life, Tammy tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s issue. “What’s not to love? He really fit in with our family.”

But seven months later, Willingham died at the age of 40 of unknown causes. Tammy was at home in Kentucky when she learned of her husband’s death — he’d remained in the Ohio rehab facility after she left.

“I was sitting in the fetal position,” Tammy recalls. “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.’  20 minutes later he texted me back and said he was gone.”

But seven months later, Willingham died at the age of 40 of unknown causes. Tammy was at home in Kentucky when she learned of her husband’s death — he’d remained in the Ohio rehab facility after she left.

“I was sitting in the fetal position,” Tammy recalls. “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.’  20 minutes later he texted me back and said he was gone.”

Tammy says she’s been “doing fairly well” coping with her loss. She’s since had two pieces of jewelry created out of Willingham’s ashes: a ring and a music note-shaped necklace.

“He’s going to live on now forever because his memory is encapsulated,” she says. “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.”

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

And when it comes to entering a new relationship, she insists, “I’m not in any kind of rush right now to settle down or meet anybody.”

Meanwhile, Amy is ready for the next chapter of her life after splitting from her husband of 6 years, Michael Halterman.

On March 13, he filed for divorce from Amy in Kentucky, according to court documents. The former couple eloped back in 2017 before having a wedding in 2019, which was previously documented on the TLC show. They are parents to sons Gage Deon, 3, and Glenn Allen, 1.

Recalling the end of their relationship, Amy says a lack of support from Halterman contributed to the implosion of their marriage.

“There was no support. There was no love. There was no kindness. There was just mental abuse,” she says, noting that it took time for her to open up about the marital problems she was facing. “I just got tired of hiding it from people.”

Amy admits that what really “put the nail in the coffin” was a heated exchange they had when she needed to buy formula for their son.

“I had spilled Glenn’s formula all over the floor,” she recalls. “I was trying to tell him I needed a new jar. He was like, ‘No, I’m going to go out and get you one.’ I’m like, ‘I need it right now. He wants a bottle, we’re leaving. I can just stop on my way and get him some.’ And all hell broke loose.”

Amy claims Halterman refused to give her back her bank card which she needed to purchase the formula, leading to an explosive confrontation between the pair and Amy’s sisters, all of which was captured on camera for the new season of 1000-Lb. Sisters.

“That’s the day I left,” Amy says. “But I was falling out of love with him before that.”

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Amy now only sees or speaks to Halterman when it involves their children.

“I see him Friday when I drop the boys off and I pick them up Monday,” she says. “And that’s as far as it goes. I’ll ask him if he can watch the kids if I have to work or something. But other than that, it’s just a matter of ‘Hey, can you watch the boys on this day, at this time?’”

Since the split, Amy says she’s seeing a therapist to help her work through the messy divorce. She also has a new romance blooming, introducing her boyfriend, Tony Rodgers, to social media last month.

“Tony supports me in everything I do. He supports the kids, he supports Tammy, he supports my whole family,” Amy says.