Influencer Shay Martin has taken a major step in her personal life, confirming that she has remarried just one year after the death of her husband Tanner Martin, who succumbed to stage 4 colon cancer at age 30 in June 2025. The news broke via a heartfelt Instagram video posted on Sunday, Aug. 2, in which Shay shared her story with her followers, and she later confirmed the marriage to PEOPLE in a statement.
In her statement to PEOPLE, Shay expressed gratitude for the support she has received. "I'm grateful for all of the people who have followed our story and who genuinely care about AmyLou and I," she said, referring to her daughter with Tanner. "I also understand that people have questions and are curious about where life has taken us. That's one of the reasons I decided to share the reel on Instagram."
Announcing the Remarriage
Shay explained that she chose to share the news publicly so that her followers could hear directly from her. She said she wanted people to know about the conversations she had with Tanner regarding her future and that of their daughter, AmyLou. "His hope that someday I would find someone who would love AmyLou as his own and honor the life Tanner and I built together," she shared.
She encouraged people to watch the video in its entirety, saying, "Those are my words, and that is where I've shared what I feel comfortable sharing publicly about Tanner's wishes for us and this new chapter in our lives." In the same statement, she delivered a message that has resonated deeply with her audience: "Love does not erase love. Tanner will always be AmyLou's dad, and he will always be an important part of our family and our story. I will always love Tanner. More than anything, I hope people will remember the advice Tanner left all of us: 'Be kind and assume good intent.'"
Tanner's Wishes for Shay and AmyLou
In her social media post, Shay also spoke at length about the support she has received from her new husband. "He has never asked me to leave Tanner behind, never. He honors my memory with Tanner, he honors Tanner. He celebrates the love that I had and have for Tanner, and he loves AmyLou the way Tanner would want AmyLou to be loved," she said.
The podcast host reflected on her own emotional journey, recalling that she once believed she would never remarry. "I remember thinking to myself, even during the five years Tanner fought cancer, 'I'm never going to remarry. I'm going to be alone, and I'm gonna live with that.' And eventually, I changed, and decided that there is enough love to give. You can never run out of love, and I will never graduate from grief." She also noted that "moving forward is not the same as moving on."
A New Husband Who Honors the Past
Tanner Martin was diagnosed with colon cancer at just 25 years old in 2020. The couple amassed a large and supportive online following as they documented Tanner's health struggles and treatment. In February 2023, Tanner was told that his cancer was no longer curable, with doctors estimating he had two to five years to live.
The emotional video includes clips of Shay with Tanner as well as with her new partner, including a photo of her new husband feeding AmyLou. Shay also made it clear that the joint account she and Tanner created was never intended to become a "reality TV show." She added, "I will continue to share my life in the ways that feel right for me and for my family. My first responsibility is to my family, not the internet."
From Diagnosis to a Growing Family
Shay and Tanner announced in November 2024 that they were expecting their first child. AmyLou was born in May 2025, and the following month, Tanner's death at age 30 was announced in a pre-recorded video. Since then, Shay has used the shared account to document her grief, creating a space where grieving individuals can find community and where Tanner's memory is memorialized.
Earlier this year, she launched a podcast, Grief Witnessed, where she hosts people who have experienced the loss of a loved one and attempts to bear witness to their pain. The account has evolved into a resource for others navigating loss, reflecting Shay's commitment to honesty and vulnerability.
Grief, Community and Moving Forward
In her statement, Shay concluded by honoring Tanner's legacy: "His legacy was one of kindness, hope and assuming good intent, that is the legacy I intend to continue honoring." Her words underscore the delicate balance of embracing a new future while treasuring the past, a balance she navigates publicly with grace.
The announcement has drawn an outpouring of support from followers who have followed the family's journey from the beginning, many of whom have shared their own stories of losing a spouse and finding love again. Shay's decision to speak openly about her remarriage and Tanner's wishes has sparked conversations about grief, resilience, and the capacity for love to expand rather than replace.
