Katie Bates’ Husband “Desperately Fighting” for Marriage After Affair

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Travis Clark is determined to make amends with Katie Bates. 

It’s been two months since Zach Bates publicly admitted to being unfaithful, and he’s finally shared what he’s been doing to try and repair things with his wife and family. As a longtime follower, I’ve been hoping to hear some positive updates, and it’s good to know he’s taking steps towards healing.

Travis shared on Instagram on March 3rd that he’s been reflecting on his recent actions for months and is struggling to express his complicated feelings. He posted a photo collection of himself, Katie, and their children, Hailey, 2, and Harvey, 17 months, and admitted to making some regrettable choices at the end of last year.

In addition to feeling guilty, Travis, who married Katie in 2021, said he was disappointed, ashamed, and disgusted with his own actions.

And he’s doing his best to right his wrongs. 

He shared that the past few months have been a deeply grounding experience. He’s been working hard on himself, including going to therapy and strengthening his faith, and is committed to doing everything he can to support his wife and family. He expressed gratitude for the prayers people have offered on their behalf.

Katie previously stated she stood by her husband after he publicly admitted to an affair online, but she has also been focusing on her own recovery and well-being.

The 25-year-old shared on Instagram that this year has been unexpectedly difficult. They explained it’s been a very emotional time, more than they anticipated. While some days are manageable, others make it hard to even get out of the house.

Katie, one of Gil and Kelly Bates’ 19 children, has started intensive therapy to help her deal with recent family difficulties. She’s focusing on getting through each day as it comes.

Becoming a mom to Hailey and Harvey and starting to rebuild a normal life has been incredibly stabilizing for me,” she shared. “I’m finding strength and peace through my faith in God, and it’s been a huge comfort.

For more on the Bates family, keep reading…

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. Although they didn’t plan to have a large family, Gil and Kelly 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 thought they might have two or three children.

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

Zachary Duggar, born December 30, 1988, was homeschooled along with his siblings and studied at Bill Gothard’s Institute in Basic Life Principles. While his earlier courtship with Sarah Reith was featured on 19 Kids and Counting, he eventually married Whitney Perkins, whom he met while she worked as a carhop at Sonic. They began courting in 2013 and were married that December, with John-David Duggar as a groomsman. Together, they have six children: Bradley (born October 2014), Kaci (born June 2016), Khloé (born November 2019), Jayden (born June 2021), Lily Jo (born August 2023), and another child due in 2026.

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 got engaged in April 2015.

After getting married in Chicago that August, the couple faced difficulties trying to start a family. Michaela openly shared their fertility challenges on her blog and YouTube channel. Following a miscarriage in 2021, they decided to become foster parents to two young boys.

Erin Bates Pain, born on 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 wonderful memories.

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

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

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

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 to her 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 made many great memories together over the past year.

The couple got 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, and is a member of the large Bates family. 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 that year, continuing a family tradition of sharing their first kiss at the wedding ceremony. The couple welcomed their daughter, Kenna, in 2022, and 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 November 9, 1994, played a key role in her family, handling secretarial duties, shopping for clothes, and often preparing meals. She met John Webster while working on the campaign for Florida Congressman Daniel Webster. The couple became engaged in January 2014, celebrating at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Orlando, and married that May. They live in Florida and 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, just twelve months after her older sister. She and Bobby Smith began dating in 2016, and their relationship was documented on the family’s reality show. They married in December 2017, shortly after getting engaged. Tori, who graduated from Crown College of the Bible with a degree in elementary education, and Bobby have five children: Robert IV (born November 2018), Kolter (born May 2020), Charlotte (born June 2021), Cambree (born August 2022), and Weston (born May 2024). They announced on Instagram in October 2025 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 first courted Chaney Kahle on television, but later met his future wife, Lydia Romeike, through his sister Josie Bates Balka. They announced their engagement on YouTube in March 2022, with Trace sharing that Lydia was his best friend and a positive influence in his life. They married in October 2022, inviting 350 guests, including Jason Duggar, who was an usher. Their son, Ryker, was born in October 2023, and they welcomed their daughter, Kaia, in June 2025 after experiencing some challenges.

Carlin Bates Stewart was born on April 11, 1998, and graduated high school with her brother, Trace, after taking 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 featured on Bringing Up Bates. Zade joined the family in March 2022, and they welcomed their third child, Navy Kate, in September 2025.

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 blossomed into romance in 2017, and they got engaged in June 2018 – all captured on camera! They married that October, with cameras rolling again. Their family grew with the arrival of daughter Willow in July 2019, followed by Hazel in June 2021. In February 2024, they welcomed son Miles, and in April 2025, they announced they were expecting another child. Son Brooks completed the family in December 2025.

Katie Bates Clark was born on October 5, 2000, and her name means “pure grace.” She announced she was engaged to Travis Clark in a Facebook Live video in 2019, with the engagement taking place 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 currently works as a stylist for her sister Josie’s business, Effortless Beauty, as well as a model for Bates Sisters Boutique.

In January 2026, Travis publicly admitted on Instagram that he had been unfaithful to his wife. He explained he had an affair and repeatedly betrayed her trust, taking full responsibility for his actions and stating there was no justification for what he’d 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 said she wanted to save her marriage.

Jackson Bates, known as one of the “three musketeers” with Warden and Isaiah Bates, was born on February 17, 2002. He met his future wife, Emerson Wells, at a rodeo in Florida and 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.

Born on May 19, 2003, Warden is known for his energetic personality – people call him “Tigger”! He enjoys playing sports and singing, and he’s worked hard, helping both his dad’s excavating company and his brother-in-law Chad’s construction business, Paine Construction.

The third member of the team joined on October 16, 2004. After graduating from Crown College in 2023 with a certificate in Christian foundations, and working for his father and brother-in-law Chad, he started his own lawn care company in 2022.

Addalee Bates was born prematurely on February 17, 2006, and spent time in the NICU, where she faced breathing difficulties. She now uses 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, saying on Instagram in 2020 that people are naturally attracted to Callie-Anna’s personality.

Kelly wrote on Instagram in December 2020 that Jud Bates has quickly grown up since joining the family on September 15, 2010. He’s faced a couple of injuries – he broke his right collarbone twice, once while playing football and again while riding his e-bike.

The Bates family grew with the arrival of Jeb Bates on February 1, 2012. He needed some time in the NICU after being born. Gil Bates told People magazine that even after having 19 children, he felt just as excited and nervous about Jeb’s birth as he did with their first child.

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2026-03-05 21:53