When My Big Fat Fabulous Life returns to TLC on Tuesday, November 10 at 10pm ET/PT, the cameras will follow Whitney Way Thore into her Charlotte era. But the show’s texture comes from the people around her: the brother on a New York stage, the best friend about to become a dad, the friendship that broke, and the trainer whose marriage ended in court. Here is a check-in on their real lives, thirteen days out from Season 14.
Hunter Thore Traded the Family Living Room for a New York Stage
Hunter Thore is having the most unexpected year of anyone in Whitney’s orbit. This summer, her younger brother led the ensemble of Funeral of God, an absurdist comedy that played July 30 to August 2 at New York’s AMT Theater in the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival, per BroadwayWorld. He played Marvin, the play’s “unrepentant cynic.” Off stage, Hunter and girlfriend Karen are still together, according to reports; viral Facebook pregnancy claims have no confirmation from either of them, per TV Season & Spoilers.
Buddy Bell and Heather Sykes: The High School Friends Who Grew Up
If Hunter is the surprise, Buddy Bell is the milestone. Whitney’s best friend since high school married Courtney Bell in October 2023; in April 2026 they announced a baby boy due in October 2026, per Parade. Buddy captioned the sonogram photo “Luby Francis Bell IV coming this October!” Season 13 showed a growing distance between Buddy and Whitney. Heather Sykes, the Greensboro friend introduced years ago as Buddy’s ex, took a quieter path: a University of North Carolina at Greensboro graduate, she built a career outside television — reportedly Global Director of Editorial at Market America/Shop.com, per ScreenRant‘s account of her LinkedIn profile — while raising son Eli and daughter Ava.
Tal Fish and Ashley Baynes: The Friendship Fans Are Still Rooting For
No friendship in MBFFL history hurts quite like Tal Fish and Ashley Baynes. Once the show’s most inseparable duo, they were reportedly no longer on speaking terms after a behind-the-scenes argument during the Season 13 era, leaving Whitney stuck in the middle, according to reports. Ashley has built the fullest off-camera life of the bunch: still with partner Eric Hadley, raising daughter Harper and son August Daniel, born in May 2022, while building her career instead of filming confessionals, according to reports. Fans watching the Season 14 trailer are convinced they spotted a thaw — but that is a fan reading, not an official confirmation. November 10 will tell.
Jessica Powell and Isaiah Martin: The Split Nobody Saw Coming
The sharpest real-life twist belongs to Whitney’s trainer Jessica Powell and Isaiah Martin. Married on April 16, 2022, with the wedding featured on the show, they are now divorced: according to court records reported by Starcasm, Isaiah filed on April 9, stating they had separated on or about March 16, 2025, and an absolute divorce was granted on June 10, 2026. Neither has publicly explained what ended the marriage. Weeks later, Isaiah introduced a newborn son on Instagram, writing “Changed instantly,” according to reports.
And Babs: The Legacy Holding It All Together
And then there is Barbara “Babs” Thore, who died on December 7, 2022 — nearly four years before this premiere. She never needed a storyline: her kitchen-table honesty made her the show’s gravitational center, and every name above was gathered around her table. This is not really a supporting cast. It is a family and a friend group that kept living while the cameras looked elsewhere.
YOU MAY LIKE“Grow Up and Realize What Your Options Are”: Whitney Thore’s Ex Lennie Just Said What No One Dares to SaySo before November 10, settle it: are you Team “Give Them Their Own Storylines” — Hunter’s stage life, Buddy’s baby and a Tal and Ashley reunion deserve real screen time — or Team “Whitney’s Show, Whitney’s Story”? Drop your pick.
