'My Big Fat Fabulous Life's Whitney Way Thore Slams Backlash Over Filming Mom's Funeral (Exclusive)
Whitney Way Thore is entering her most challenging season of My Big Fat Fabulous Life yet.
"It's the craziest season we've ever had. And, you know, the saddest obviously, because I've always thought that my mom was really the star of the show," Whitney tells ET's Deidre Behar about the upcoming season.
The new season of the hit TLC series begins with her beloved mother, Barbara "Babs" Thore's, funeral, giving the viewers a chance to publicly grieve alongside Whitney, her father, Glenn, and brother, Hunter.
While the family knows that's what Babs would have wanted, many users online have pushed back against their decision to broadcast the service.
"I can let a lot of stuff roll off me because I've been dealing with this for a decade. When it starts to involve my family, it's a lot harder. When it starts to involve my dead mother it's the hardest," Whitney says.
"The assumption that it was my decision at all, it's my father’s decision," she shares. "My father wanted the funeral to be public and he wanted the public to come. He asked to post on social media. Nothing makes him happier than people loving my mother. He is so proud of her and so obsessed with her. And he likes to, you know, she's a public figure. She was loved publicly and I want her to be mourned publicly."
Whitney adds, "He compared it to Princess Diana and the Queen of England and other funerals that are public and it's true."
Babs died on Dec. 7, following a cerebral amyloid angiopathy. She was 76. The last season of MBFFL chronicled the family's life following Babs' initial stroke and road to recovery. When it comes to the comments that the family is paid extra to highlight trauma, Whitney passionately shuts them down.
"I make the same amount of money. Nobody gives me extra money for, like, putting my trauma onscreen," Whitney says. "I wish they did. If they did, I'd have a lot more money."
Whitney and her family know for a fact that Babs -- whom they say was the real star of the show -- would have approved of their decision.
"I think she would have loved it," Whitney says about Babs' sentimental send-off. "I think my mom is the biggest star and I think if you know my mom, she was a ham. I mean, that's why we always joke that this is a vehicle for her. This job was literally, it was the biggest part of her life. She loved filming it, she loved doing it. She had the attention and she knows what our intentions are, she knows we're not trying to exploit her or, like, making money off of her or anything like that."
Though it's been seven months since her mother's death, the reality TV star says she is still working through the grieving process.
"I think the last few months I would just, of course, I think about her every day," she says. "But the last few months, I would find myself kind of getting stuck on thoughts more and definitely crying more. I'm actually doing, you know, much better than I ever thought that I would. When I think about having strength to get through something, it always comes back to my mom. I just think like all of this was just a gift that my mother gave me. And we had the best year of our lives, but with her. Absolutely the most incredible year. Said everything I ever needed to say to her, heard everything I ever needed to hear. And my mother literally gave me everything, except that she, you know, she couldn't live forever."
The new season is much more than just sadness, though. In true My Big Fat Fabulous Life fashion, there's going to be laughter along with the tears. There's also a moment where Whitney and Hunter meet their sister -- from Glenn's previous relationship -- as well as fun moments with Whitney and her dad. And yes, there's Whitney's quest to find love.
"It's not there. There's nothing to look at," she tells ET about her current relationship status.
Last season left fans with a little cliffhanger, after Whitey and her pal, Lenny, shared a kiss. However, she confirms that things didn't move forward with him and that he's in a new relationship -- which she supports.
"I'm really happy for him," she says.
Whitney is also gearing up for a new milestone, turning 40. As for stepping into her next chapter, the TLC star says she feels -- and looks -- better than ever.
"I think it's funny. I think I'm probably the happiest I've ever been," she tells ET. "I think I'm the most attractive I've ever been, which is weird. I look at myself from 10 years ago and I'm like, 'I'm just getting prettier.'"
My Big Fat Fabulous Life returns to TLC on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
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