Influencer Shay Martin Opens Up About Remarriage After Loss

Social media influencer Shay Martin has revealed the pivotal moment that opened her heart to love again after losing her husband Tanner Martin to cancer last year.

In an interview with Today digital published on Tuesday, August 4, Shay recounted the eight words her new husband Hunter spoke when they first connected that changed everything: "'I would want to get to know Tanner,'" she recalled him saying.

That simple statement marked a turning point for the young widow, who lost Tanner in June 2025 after he battled stage 4 colorectal cancer for five years. He was 30 years old. The couple's daughter AmyLou was just one month old when her father died, now 15 months old.

The grief following Tanner's death proved overwhelming for Shay, who acknowledged she "cried a whole lot" while processing the loss. The pain was compounded by the nature of her loss—this was not a relationship that ended by choice.

"I didn't get divorced from Tanner," Shay told Today. "I still loved him, and I was always going to love him."

When Shay eventually felt ready to explore dating again, she sought someone who would embrace rather than compete with her past. Hunter proved to be that person.

"He was the first guy who didn't see Tanner as a threat," Shay recalled. "I think it takes a confident, empathetic man to do that."

Shay first publicly shared news of her new relationship on Sunday, August 2, through an Instagram video addressing followers who had been concerned about her and AmyLou's wellbeing.

"I know there are a lot of people on the internet that care a lot about AmyLou and I, so if that's you this message is for you," Shay said in the video. "I've seen a lot of questions asking how AmyLou and I are doing and where we are in life. It's been a year filled with both heartbreaking sadness but also incredible blessings. In the past year we've welcomed AmyLou, we've lost Tanner, I moved to Arizona, where I grew up, and I found love again."

According to Shay, Tanner had expressed wishes for her future before his death. He wanted her to "find someone who would love AmyLou as his own and honor the life" they "built together." Shay indicated that Hunter has fulfilled those hopes completely.

The influencer's perspective on love and loss has evolved significantly since Tanner's diagnosis. She described how her thinking shifted from believing she would remain alone forever to recognizing that the human capacity for love is not finite. Shay also acknowledged that grief is not something one simply overcomes or leaves behind.