If you’ve followed the plus-size modeling world for more than five minutes, you know that Tess Holliday is basically the blueprint. She’s the woman who famously stood on the cover of Cosmo in a green swimsuit, effectively breaking the internet and sparking a thousand debates about health and visibility. But for a long time, the person standing right in her shadow was her husband, Nick Holliday.
They were the "it" couple of the body-positive movement. The tattooed, alternative powerhouse duo.
Then, it all went quiet.
People noticed the lack of Instagram posts. Then came the cryptic captions. Eventually, the truth spilled out in a way that honestly shocked a lot of fans who saw them as relationship goals.
The Reality of Tess Holliday and Her Husband’s Split
The thing about Tess Holliday and her husband is that their relationship started like a modern-day fairytale. They met on Tumblr back in 2012. Nick was an Australian photographer and artist who messaged her because he found her inspiring. It wasn't long before he moved across the world to be with her in Los Angeles.
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They got engaged in 2014 and secretly tied the knot in 2015. For years, the public saw a supportive partner who managed her career and helped raise her sons, Rylee and Bowie.
But by 2019, the cracks were impossible to hide.
Tess finally confirmed the separation in early 2020, and it wasn't just a "we grew apart" kind of situation. She’s since been incredibly vocal about the fact that the marriage was "abusive, unhealthy, and toxic." She didn’t just leave a marriage; she basically had to claw her way out of a life that was making her miserable behind the camera lens.
Why the Divorce Shocked the Body-Positivity Community
For a lot of people, Nick and Tess were the proof that you didn't have to look a certain way to find "perfect" love. When that image shattered, it left a void.
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Tess has been very open about how she "glamorized" her life during that time. It's a classic social media trap. You see the high-fashion shoots and the cute family photos, but you don't see the emotional manipulation or the "rehabilitating" of a partner that Tess later described.
She famously posted that "women are not rehab centers for men."
That one sentence basically summarized why the relationship ended. She was tired of carrying the weight of someone else’s issues while trying to build a global empire. Honestly, it’s a sentiment that resonated with thousands of women who felt like they were doing the same thing in their own lives.
Life After the Breakup
Since the split, Tess has focused on herself in a way she never did while married. She came out as pansexual in 2019, right around the time the marriage was dissolving.
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She’s also been incredibly transparent about her health, including her diagnosis of atypical anorexia. It’s a bit of a plot twist for a woman whose entire brand was built on being "fat and happy," but it added a layer of human complexity that most celebrities try to hide.
Nick Holliday eventually moved back to Australia. He’s mostly stayed out of the spotlight since the divorce, while Tess has continued to consultant for major brands like H&M to improve size inclusivity.
Moving Forward With Clarity
So, what can we actually take away from the saga of Tess Holliday and her husband?
- Social media is a curated highlight reel. Even the most "authentic" influencers are often hiding deep personal struggles.
- Leaving is an act of self-care. Tess has mentioned several times that she "didn't want to be alive" toward the end of her marriage, and leaving was the only way to save herself.
- Rebranding is possible. She didn't let the failure of a high-profile marriage define her; she used it to pivot toward even more radical honesty.
If you’re looking to support Tess or learn more about her current projects, the best place is her official social media channels where she documents her work as an inclusivity consultant. She’s moved past being just a "model" and is now more of a corporate advisor for brands trying to figure out how to actually dress people larger than a size 14.
The biggest lesson here is pretty simple: don't stay in a situation that requires you to shrink your spirit just to keep the peace. Whether you're a supermodel or just someone scrolling through your feed, your peace of mind is worth more than a "perfect" Instagram grid.
Check her current collaborations with retailers to see how she's changing fit standards for 2026.