Bringing Up Bates: A Guide to Katie Bates and Her 18 Siblings

by

At the moment, Katie Bates is just focused on getting through each day. 

In a recent Instagram post on January 19th, the 25-year-old shared her heartbreak over a difficult start to the year. Just days after revealing she’d lost her third child, she also disclosed that her husband, Travis Clark, had been unfaithful. She described the time as incredibly painful for her and her family, explaining that their marriage had been deeply wounded and her trust broken.

But the mom to Hailey, 2, and Harvey, 15 months, hopes she has enough glue to piece it back together. 

She said that Travis, 24, privately told her he was deeply sorry for what he did, and he wanted to publicly take responsibility. She supports his decision to be open and honest about it.

She stated they are handling the situation privately, getting advice together and separately to figure out what’s best for their family. She also has a lawyer helping her, and emphasized that this is a difficult process she isn’t approaching casually.

As such, she intends to work through all the heaviness at her own pace. 

She explained in a detailed online message that all future decisions will be made thoughtfully and with the well-being of her family and children as the main focus. She also expressed her faith in God’s ability to heal and her hope to save her marriage.

And should Katie need some extra support, she has quite the sizable squad in her corner. 

Among Gil and Kelly Bates’ nineteen children, who were featured on the Up TV reality show Bringing Up Bates from 2015 to 2021, their eleventh child has a very large and close-knit family.

Similar to the large Duggar family, this group of evangelical, conservative Christians believes that having a big family is a good thing.

Gil and Kelly decided to leave the number of children they had up to God, as Gil shared in a 2011 interview with Nightline. This was a year before their youngest son, Jeb Bates, was born.

“But we never really thought we’d have 18. We thought maybe one or two, maybe three.”  

Zach Bates, the oldest son, told Nightline that growing up with a large family felt normal to him. He explained, “Each year, we just added another person, so it never felt strange.”

I’ve been following the Bates family for years, and it’s amazing to see how it’s expanded! Their parents started a large family in their spacious Tennessee home, and it just keeps getting bigger as each of the kids has children of their own. It’s a wonderfully large and growing family!

Zach and Whitney Bates announced in September that they are expecting their sixth child, bringing the total number of grandchildren for Gil and Kelly Bates to over 40.

Keep reading to see who’s all in the family.  

William “Gil” Bates, a wrestling champion from South Carolina, met his future wife, Kelly Callaham, while both were students at Anderson University. Kelly was assigned to tutor Gil in Chemistry, and the two quickly connected. They became engaged in October 1987 while finishing their studies at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee, and married just two months later. While they hadn’t planned for a large family, they chose not to use birth control, trusting that God would determine the size of their family. Gil later told Dateline in 2011 that they initially expected to have only two or three children.

Their first child, Zachary Bates, was born a year after their wedding, and in 2012 they welcomed their 19th child, a son named Jeb Bates. When it comes to remembering all their children’s names, Kelly jokes that her husband, Gil, who owns Bates Tree Service, has a better memory than she does.

Oh my goodness, Zachary! Born December 30, 1988, he was raised just like all his siblings – homeschooled and learning everything from Bill Gothard’s Institute. Everyone remembers his first courtship with Sarah Reith on 19 Kids and Counting, but it was Whitney Perkins who really stole his heart. Can you believe they met while she was working at Sonic?! It was fate! They started courting in 2013 and he proposed just two months later – so romantic! They got married that December, and John-David Duggar was even a groomsman! Then came the babies! First Bradley in October 2014, then Kaci in June 2016, followed by Jayden in June 2021, Khloé in November 2019, and little Lily Jo in August 2023. And now?! They just announced in September 2025 that baby number six is on the way in 2026! They are the sweetest family!

Besides his work with the family history company, Zachary has also been a police officer, a county commissioner, and a real estate agent.

Born on January 23, 1990, just thirteen months after her brother, Michaela Bates Keilen developed a knack for sewing at a young age, often making dresses for her family and helping with the laundry. She and her future husband, Brandon Keilen, dated for two years before he could propose – waiting until he finished bible college – and then got engaged in April 2015.

After getting married in Chicago that August, my favorite couple really wanted to start a family, and Michaela was so open about their journey, sharing everything – the ups and downs of trying to conceive – on her blog and YouTube channel. It was heartbreaking to hear about her miscarriage in 2021, but they didn’t give up on their dream of being parents. They opened their hearts and home and became foster parents to two sweet little boys, and it’s been amazing to watch them grow as a family.

Erin Bates Pain, born May 2, 1991, shared with People magazine that she has only positive memories of her upbringing. Reflecting on her childhood, she said her parents raised her well and created a lot of cherished moments.

Growing up without a TV wasn’t a loss, she explained. Instead, her family spent that time playing with her dad, enjoying games together, and creating memories. She believes this actually made them more resourceful and connected.

After marrying Charles Paine III in 2013, Erin and Charles were excited to have a large family. Unfortunately, a blood clotting disorder caused several miscarriages before they welcomed their first child, Carson, in May 2015. They went on to have Brooklyn (August 2016), Everly (May 2018), Holland (November 2019), and Finley (January 2022). Despite believing they couldn’t have any more children, they were surprised and delighted to welcome William in October 2023 and Henry in August 2025. Following Henry’s birth, Erin experienced septic shock, and Charles shared on Instagram, asking for prayers for her recovery.

In October, she shared that she had started walking again, posting on Instagram about how meaningful even unsteady steps were, saying she wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk again at one point.

Lawson Bates, born on July 27, 1992, started his own lawn care business, Lawson’s Lawncare, when he was just 13 years old. He gained some attention after interacting with Jana Duggar on Instagram, but later announced his engagement to Tiffany Espensen. He proposed during a trip to Italy in October 2021. Bates told People magazine that getting to know Espensen—her personality, interests, and goals—has been the best experience of his life, and they’ve created many happy memories together over the past year.

The couple married on a yacht near San Diego in May 2022. They sadly experienced a miscarriage before welcoming their first son, William, in July 2024. Just under a year later, they announced they were expecting another baby, and in December 2025, they welcomed their second son, Theodore.

Nathan Bates was born on August 29, 1993. He first became known to viewers through his courtship with Ashley Salyer on the show Bringing Up Bates, but he later proposed to Esther Keyes in May 2021. They married in October of the same year, following a family tradition of sharing their first kiss at the wedding ceremony. A year later, they welcomed their daughter, Kenna, and then their son, Graham, in October 2024. Nathan has always felt called to ministry and has pursued this through mission trips and work as a first responder.

Alyssa Bates Webster, born on November 9, 1994, played a key role in her family, handling secretarial duties, shopping for clothes, and preparing meals. While working on the congressional campaign of Daniel Webster in Florida, she met his son, John Webster. They became engaged in January 2014, celebrating at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Orlando, and married that May. Alyssa and John, who live in Florida, have five children: Alli (born April 2015), Lexi (born January 2017), Zoey (born March 2018), Maci (born February 2021), and Rhett (born March 2023).

Tori Bates Smith was born on December 20, 1995, a year after her older sister. She began dating Bobby Smith in 2016, and their relationship was documented on the family’s reality show. They married in December 2017 and quickly started a family. They welcomed their first son, Robert IV, in November 2018, followed by Kolter in May 2020, Charlotte in June 2021, Cambree in August 2022, and Weston in May 2024. In October 2025, they announced on Instagram that they are expecting their sixth child in March 2026.

Trace Bates, whose name means “harvester of the white fields,” was born on February 1, 1997. He met his future wife, Lydia Romeike, after being introduced by his sister, Josie Bates Balka, following a previous televised courtship with Chaney Kahle. The couple announced their engagement in March 2022 on YouTube, with Trace sharing that Lydia was his best friend and a positive influence in his life. They married in October of the same year, celebrating with 350 guests, including Jason Duggar, who was an usher. Their son, Ryker, arrived in October 2023, followed by their daughter, Kaia, a rainbow baby, in June 2025.

Carlin Bates Stewart was born on April 11, 1998, and she graduated high school with her brother, Trace, after taking some college courses while still in high school. She met her husband, Evan Stewart, through her sister, Erin, and they got engaged in September 2018. They married in May 2019, with Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth as a bridesmaid. Their first child, Layla, was born in January 2020 and was featured on the show Bringing Up Bates. Their son, Zade, arrived in March 2022, and they welcomed their third child, daughter Navy Kate, in September 2023.

Gil and Kelly welcomed their tenth child on August 4, 1999. She later met Kelton Balka at a piano recital in 2014, and they became friends. Their relationship turned romantic in 2017, and they got engaged in June 2018 – the proposal was even filmed! They married that October, also with cameras rolling. Their first daughter, Willow, was born in July 2019, followed by Hazel in June 2021. In February 2024, they welcomed a son named Miles, and in April 2025, they announced they were expecting another child. Their second son, Brooks, arrived that December.

Katie Bates Clark was born on October 5, 2000, and her name means “pure grace.” She announced her relationship with Travis Clark on Facebook Live in 2019, and they got engaged by the ocean in April 2021. They married in December of that year and welcomed their daughter, Hailey, in February 2023, followed by their son, Harvey, in September 2024. Katie is a licensed cosmetologist, having graduated from The Crown College, and she works as a stylist for her sister Josie’s company, Effortless Beauty, and also models for Bates Sisters Boutique.

In January 2026, Travis publicly admitted on Instagram that he had been unfaithful to his wife. He confessed to having an affair and repeatedly violating her trust, taking full responsibility for his actions and stating there was no justification for what he had done.

Katie admitted a few days later that her trust had been damaged, but she still believed in God’s ability to heal things and hoped they could save their marriage.

Jackson Bates, along with Warden and Isaiah Bates (often referred to as the ‘three musketeers’), was born on February 17, 2002. He met his future wife, Emerson Wells, at a rodeo in Florida and they announced their engagement in March 2023. They married in October of that year, with Jason Duggar as a groomsman, and welcomed their son, David, in July 2025.

Oh my gosh, Warden is just the sweetest! Everyone calls him ‘Tigger’ because he’s always bouncing around with energy – seriously, it’s adorable! He was born on May 19th, 2003, and he’s totally into sports and singing, which is just perfect. And get this – he’s such a hard worker! He’s helped out with his dad’s excavating company and his brother-in-law Chad’s construction business, Paine Construction. I mean, how amazing is that?!

I was so excited when the third musketeer joined us on October 16, 2004! He’s a hard worker, helping both his father and his brother-in-law, Chad. He’s also dedicated to his faith – he graduated from Crown College in 2023 with a one-year Bible Certificate focused on Christian foundations. And he’s an entrepreneur too! He actually started his own lawn care business back in 2022, which I think is fantastic.

Addalee Bates was born prematurely on February 17, 2006, and spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where she received treatment for breathing problems. She also wears hearing aids. Her parents intentionally added extra letters to her name as a reminder of the second chance she was given. In 2025, she finished a year-long bible study program.

Ellie Bates, whose name means “strong light,” became part of the team on April 28, 2007. She frequently models for photos used by Bates Sisters Boutique.

Callie-Anna Bates, the youngest daughter of Gil and Kelly, was born on August 2, 2009. Kelly described her as the most outgoing of their children, sharing on Instagram in 2020 that people are naturally drawn to Callie-Anna’s personality.

Oh my gosh, Jud Bates! I still remember when he first joined us back on September 15th, 2010 – it feels like yesterday! Kelly said it best on Instagram a while back – he’s just grown up so fast, it’s incredible! He’s had a couple of rough patches, poor thing, breaking his collarbone twice – once playing football, can you believe it, and then again when he was riding his e-bike. But he always bounces back, that’s our Jud!

The Bates family grew with the arrival of Jeb Bates on February 1, 2012. He needed some time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after his birth. Gil Bates shared with People magazine that even after having nineteen children, he was just as anxious and excited about Jeb’s arrival as he was with their firstborn.

Read More

2026-01-20 20:48