How Amy Slaton is Coping with Her Divorce and Raising Two Sons?

 

The first season of “1000-Lb Sisters” gave viewers a beautiful life story between high school friends who went their separate ways after graduation, met a few years later, declared their love for each other, eloped, and then invited their loved ones two years later to witness as they vowed to spend the rest of their lives together. Sadly, their union was doomed to fail. Amy Slaton and Michael Halterman are currently embroiled in a court battle to end their marriage, and determine how the once fan favorites will share the custody of their two children. Typically, divorce proceedings and custody battles are difficult for the parties involved – here is how Amy is coping with her divorce and raising the children.

Amy and Michael

When “1000-Lb Sisters” premiered on TLC in 2020, Michael was the picture of devotion. At the time, Tammy lived with the couple – she’d just undergone a significant transformation after her surgery, and can walk by herself, but things were different in the beginning. Her weight made walking and other physical activities difficult for her. Therefore, she was confined to a wheelchair and needed help with mobility. Michael graciously allowed Tammy to live with them so Amy could help take care of her. At times, he took on the responsibility of caring for his sister-in-law, who wasn’t easy to deal with according to fans, when Amy was not around or needed a break. Michael waved his green flag further by sacrificing his free time with Amy, driving her to errands and her sister to her appointments, and cheering Amy on as she dieted, exercised, and struggled her way through weight loss until she reached a safe weight to carry their first child.

The Last Straw

Michael’s stint as the show’s resident saint and model husband lasted until the second season, when their first child, Gage, was born. According to Amy, he left all household and childcare responsibilities to her, and didn’t contribute financially towards household expenses, since he was unemployed. Things got worse, but it was only after the birth of their second child, Glenn, that fans confirmed her accusations. Michael tested positive for Covid-19 while Amy was in hospital for Glenn’s birth. After leaving hospital, she went to live with her sister, Amanda, until Michael recovered and tested negative.

Amy returned home with a newborn and a toddler to a dirty house that hadn’t been cleaned since she left for the hospital. Meanwhile, Michael admitted that his symptoms were an occasional but mild headache. A frustrated and exasperated Amy, who had barely recovered from a rough birthing experience, had to clean the house while taking care of two children and healing from a c-section, much to the chagrin of fans, who called out Michael’s behavior, and agreed with Amy, who confessed that she felt as if she had three children.

Several other moments in the season showed Michael disinterested and oblivious to Amy struggling to take care of the children and the household. One particular incident riled-up viewers and had them supporting Amy’s decision to leave Michael later on in the show. Amy and Michael were hosting her family in their backyard. As they sat eating, both children started fussing; Gage was crying and Glenn was hungry and screaming his lungs out for a bottle. The whole time, Michael continued to enjoy his food, oblivious to his crying children as his sleep-deprived wife tried to calm them down. Amy complained that Michael was having fun with everyone else instead of helping her calm downone of the children. It took the intervention of Amanda to calm down the boys by helping Amy with Gage, while she fed Glenn and changed his diaper. The incident drove Amy closer to her threshold.

For Amy, the straw that broke the camel’s back came in February, when Michael got angry and became violent. On the fateful day, Amy had prepared the children and gotten herself ready to go out and have lunch with Tammy. However, Michael was opposed to the idea, leading to the argument that ended the marriage. In the middle of the heated argument, Michael started throwing things around, prompting Amy to call 911. As their marriage disintegrated, Amy accused Michael of hitting the boys and pulling their hands, neglecting his financial obligations to the family, and making her take on all the chores. She later filed charges against Michael for domestic violence, and requested the court to grant an emergency protection order.

Divorce and Custody Update

With their marriage broken irretrievably, Michael filed for the dissolution of his marriage to Amy in March. Around the same time, Amy filed an order for protection, seeking to bar Michael from having any contact with Gage and Glenn. However, Michael fought the order, claiming that he’d shared the caregiver role for the two children with Amy since their birth, and had the right to see them; he also hoped that the court would allow him to share custody with Amy. She relented soon afterwards, and amended the order to allow Michael to see the children, but petitioned the court to make his contact with them supervised. The judge ruled that Michael could see the children on the condition that he was accompanied by his mother and sister.

In April, one month after filing his divorce petition, Michael returned to court seeking a civil restraining order against Amy. He wanted the order to prevent him and Amy from being within 500 feet of each other or each other’s residence, and prevent either party from talking about the specifics of the divorce and child custody petitions in public or on social media. He also sought a parenting schedule that would divide the children’s time between him and Amy, and petitioned the judge to issue an order allowing him into his and Amy’s house to pick up his personal items.

The divorce and child custody cases are ongoing, with the (former) couple set to attend the next hearing on 1 June 2023. For now, Amy has withdrawn the charges she filed against Michael for domestic violence. The court has temporarily also granted Michael’s request for shared custody. The couple is allowed to communicate through text messages that are monitored by the court, to arrange pick-ups, drop-offs, and other issues related to Gage and Glenn. However, Amy is opposing Michael’s request for permanent joint custody, arguing that the children need consistency, and alleging that Michael is relying on his mother to take care of them, instead of parenting them himself.

Life After Divorce

Amy and Michael’s divorce isn’t final yet, but she’s coping well and ready to move on. According to recent posts on social media, she is powering through the end of her marriage with a positive attitude and a transformation of her life. A major hairstyle change is a typical indicator of rebirth in a woman’s life, and Amy is no exception. She recently colored her hair a vibrant purple, that makes her stand out and draws all eyes to her. The bold hair color goes well with the confidence and positivity she is emanating, as evident in her new pictures. She’s taken to posting bright pictures of herself all over her social media, and captioning them with positive and uplifting messages of hope, the courage to start over, and turning pain into power. She isn’t afraid to use bold and provocative soundtracks such as Lexy Panterra’s “Bad Bitch” to accompany pictures and videos of herself.

Amy’s dedication to her children hasn’t wavered. She spends most of her time taking care of the boys, who adore her as seen in the snippets she shares of her time with them on her social media. She’s driven by her own childhood, during which she encountered abuse and neglect from her mother, and her vow to ensure that her boys are assured of her love for them. Besides loving them, she’s teaching them independence and responsibility, as evidenced in a video she shared recently of Gage helping her clean the house with a toy vacuum cleaner. While she devotes most of her time and energy to the boys, Amy is taking time for self-care and self-love. Occasionally, she shares pictures and highlights of nights out with her friends, with whom she has fun and lets loose, before going home to her boys.

Ultimately, Amy is happy to be raising her two boys as she and Michael face off in court to finalize their divorce, and determine how they will parent their children. She’s updated her bio to declare herself a single mother, and seems to be enjoying her life without Michael. With her family and friends rallying around as her support system, there’s little doubt that she’ll continue to thrive.

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