Following the success of TLC’s 19 Kids & Counting, UPtv aired Bringing Up Bates for ten seasons. The reality show followed Kelly Jo and Gil Bates and their 19 children. Katie Bates was just 14 when the show premiered. She’s now married with two kids. She dropped a huge clue that she’s estranged from her family after revealing childhood trauma. Keep reading for all the details.
Katie Bates Clark & Husband Move To Texas After Cheating Scandal
From the outside, Katie Bates Clark and her husband, Travis, had a wonderful marriage. The couple tied the knot in December 2021 after meeting in 2019. They had a long-distance relationship for nearly a year before officially courting in 2020. They share two kids, Hailey, 3, and Harvey, 19 months.
But the image of a perfect marriage was ruined in early 2026 when Travis Clark admitted on social media that he had cheated on his wife. He revealed the news one day after Katie Bates announced that she had suffered a miscarriage of their third child.
Katie Bates Clark stayed by her husband’s side despite his infidelity. She shared on social media earlier this year that they were leaving Tennessee after just two years. They lived in New Jersey before moving to Tennessee in 2024. The couple now live in Texas with their two children.
Reality Star Estranged From Family After Revealing Childhood Trauma
Katie Bates Clark’s move from Tennessee sparked concern among fans. Many of her family members live near Knoxville, TN. Fans worried that she would be without a support system amid marital problems. The reality star directly addressed the concern.
She revealed that she isn’t close to her family anymore. “A lot of people are confused by my decision to leave Tennessee, especially because from the outside it may look like I have a big support system here,” Katie Bates wrote on social media in response to a comment from a fan.
“The truth is, sometimes things happening behind closed doors are a lot more complicated and painful than what people see publicly. Recently, I chose to address something that happened throughout my childhood that I wish I had the strength to address years ago. Unfortunately after doing so, I lost relationships with about 90 percent of my family,” she shared.
Katie Bates Clark stopped short of revealing the childhood trauma, but described the situation as “incredibly heartbreaking. But she’s no longer hiding from her truth. “I’m also done pretending everything is okay just to protect appearances,” she wrote. “Sadly I’ve learned that not everyone will support your choices when you finally choose honesty and healing and that’s okay.”
A look at her Instagram account reveals the depth of the estrangement. Katie Bates Clark is only following one of her 18 siblings – Alyssa. They are both vocal on social media, but haven’t addressed what’s going on in the family. Does it surprise you that Katie Bates Clark is estranged from most of her family? Tell us in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger