‘1000-Lb Sisters’ — the Real Story Behind Jerry’s Exit

‘1000-Lb Sisters’ — the Real Story Behind Jerry’s Exit

In 2020, TLC launched another entry in its stable of reality television programs with 1000-lb Sisters, which introduced the world to Kentucky sisters Amy and Tammy Slaton. At the start of the series, the pair had a combined weight of over the titular 1,000 pounds, and the show chronicled their efforts to lose weight in order to qualify for life-changing bariatric surgery. It was an intriguing hook, but the reality TV graveyard is filled with shows that had promising concepts yet failed to deliver, so there had to be something more.

And 1000-lb Sisters is more, a compelling mix of losses and gains, trials and tribulations, and, of course, the dramatic storylines that have kept the series going for 6 seasons. One such storyline had to do with Jerry Sykes, a one-time boyfriend of Tammy’s, who left the show under controversial circumstances, ones that impacted not only Tammy and her family, but another family. His.

“There’s Something About Jerry” in Season 2 of ‘1000-lb Sisters’

Jerry is introduced in the Season 2 episode “There’s Something About Jerry,” a man that, as Tammy explains, she met “online a few years ago in a BBW (big beautiful women) group.” The episode marks the first time that Jerry and Tammy meet in person, with Jerry making an eight-hour cross-country trip. Despite Amy’s worries that he wouldn’t show, Jerry did arrive, greeting Tammy with, “What up, baby girl.”

Tammy was ecstatic, but Tammy’s family? Not so much. They feared that Jerry had no interest in helping motivate Tammy towards her weight-loss goals but, rather, intended to sabotage her pursuit to keep her the BBW he wanted. They weren’t wrong, with Jerry constantly providing junk food for himself and Tammy in the house. Nevertheless, the pair stayed together, seemingly strong, until the end of Season 2 when Tammy revealed, surprisingly, they had broken up.

The Timing was Suspect, but the Truth Is Worse in ‘1000-lb Sisters’

The timing of the breakup was suspect, as Tammy had just come out as pansexual to Jerry, who initially didn’t understand what the term meant, but had assured her he wasn’t bothered by it. In fact, Jerry told TMZ that the breakup wasn’t over her sexuality at all… but the truth was arguably much worse. It turns out that Jerry was actually still married, and that his wife, Kia Russell-Rucker Sykes, found out about their romance after watching the show.

Not just married, by the way, but married with seven children, who are, as Kia says, “upset with him.” Kia also claims that the 1000-lbs Sisters star knew Jerry was married when they started dating, but simply didn’t care. And for a network that is already scrutinized for prioritizing exploitation over education (it is supposed to be “The Learning Channel,” after all), Kia’s claim that she was given an offer to appear on the series, an offer she declined (per The Sun), certainly didn’t help any arguments to the contrary.

Whether Tammy actually knew he was married when they started dating is arguable, but she certainly did know by the time the Season 3 opener aired. So the revelation that she saw Jerry again mere days before entering rehab earned her the ire of fans everywhere. It was during a confessional interview, with Amy by her side, where Tammy said, “I had a weak moment. I don’t want him back. I just wanted the d**k.” Fans were quick to slam the TV personality, largely in disbelief that she would go back to him at all, knowing he was a married man, while others called Tammy out for not being honest about why her and Jerry split in the first place.

Given the series remains on the air, it’s clear that Tammy’s been forgiven her transgressions. Since then, both sisters have had their share of romances, and even marriage. But their pursuit of love was never the goal. All along it’s been that drive to lose weight and live healthier, and despite their personal setbacks, they’ve come a long, long way in achieving that goal, so successfully that there may not even be a story left to tell. Would that goal have been achievable had Jerry stuck around? Hard to say, but it’s best his sorry ass hit the road anyway. 1000-Lb Sisters airs on TLC and is available to stream anytime on Hulu.