“Even at this age” - My Big Fat Fabulous Life star Whitney reflects on getting her father’s approval for pregnancy

Episode 8 of My Big Fat Fabulous Life season 13 was released on August 19, 2025. The episode saw more updates on Whitney Thore's journey to pregnancy. She chose to get artificial insemination, a move she thought was empowering and gave her exactly what she needed. 

In an interview with Access Hollywood, published on July 25, 2025, Whitney opened up about her father's changing reactions to her decision. She shared that he was cautious at the start, but eventually got happy. She also stressed the importance of her father's approval in her life. 

"I've always wanted my dad's approval, and probably in a lot of ways, still even at this age, kind of covertly get his permission or his approval, you know, of my life," she added. 

She said that it meant something to her because she respected him a lot. Further in the interview, she also shared that another reason for her decision to have a baby was the fact that she also wanted her father to get that happiness. 

What Whitney from My Big Fat Fabulous Life said about her father's say in her pregnancy 

The interviewer mentioned that she saw on the show how her father was a bit hesitant about her decision to get artificially inseminated, and then he had this turnaround, and he started seeming excited. She asked Whitney if she was surprised by the 180-degree change in her father's emotions. 

Whitney said she was and added that she was lucky to have parents who wanted her to be happy. 

"They are truly the epitome of, like, good parents. They really just want us to be happy," she added. 

She stated that she had always wanted her dad's approval. Even at her age, she felt the need to covertly get his permission or approval on things.

It meant a lot to her because she respected her father a lot. She was the best man she knew because he had more integrity than anyone she knew, was loved more than anyone she knew, and trusted him more than anyone. 

So, to know that he wanted to go through the grandfather journey with her was rewarding. Whitney shared that he had grandkids from her step-siblings, but she knew he still wanted the same for her and for her brother. 

She also shared an account of her late mother saying she had found a box of baby clothes, and the letter in them had told her that she could make her daughter wear them. If she didn't like them, her daughter could put them on her dolls. The letter was from her mom, and the box was something she had preserved for years for Whitney's child. 

"I thought of my mom, probably 35 years ago, boxing this stuff up and thinking that far into the future," she added. 

That, she said, gave her reassurance that if her mom were here, she would have wanted the same thing for her. She added that all the years she spent with her mom, she wanted her to have every happiness she ever wanted. While taking care of her in her last days, Whitney wanted her mom to experience everything she wanted to experience before she passed away. 

She said even though her dad was healthy, she wanted the same for him. So knowing that he wanted her to have a child was more of a reason to get it so she could give him the happiness he deserved. 

"It's not just for me, but it's also for him," she said. 

Stay tuned for more updates!