You may have seen Mike and Kat Stickler on your ‘for you’ page doing impressions of each other or navigating the challenges of raising a baby while in the middle of a pandemic. Like most couples with a large social media following, Mike and Kat’s TikTok videos were upbeat, silly, and usually themed around their daughter, Mary-Katherine, or “MK”. The couple was upfront about their story: they met, began dating, realized Kat was pregnant, and got married all within three months. Although the odds seemed stacked against them, Mike and Kat seemed to exemplify the “perfect couple” to many of their TikTok viewers.
They began posting in May 2020 and have since gained over five million followers. People enjoyed watching them pull pranks at home (the recipe for a social media couple’s success) and do impressions of each other, poking fun at the obstacles of married life. Some commenters complained that the impressions were too harsh sometimes, but Mike and Kat seemed to laugh it off.
Everything seemed to be going well for Mike and Kat, but there were a few things that made fans wonder what was really going on. In early March, the ‘Mike and Kat’ Tiktok account was changed to ‘Kat Stickler’ and Kat began posting more videos alone, documenting trips to get waxing and cryotherapy sessions. Then, on March 18th, the couple announced their separation.
“Hey guys, we just wanted to come on here and address some of the rumors about Michael and I being separated,” a teary-eyed Kat began in the 30-second clip. “Unfortunately, they are true. We are separating.”
She went on to say, “We go forward and with love and respect for each other, 100%, and we are totally committed to co-parenting MK to the best of our abilities.”
Mike later said, “I agree with Kat. We’re trying to do the best that we can for MK. Kat is not at fault, at all, for any of this. There’s a lot of things that I need to work on in my own life. Please respect our privacy and respect us as individuals as we navigate this process.”
The couple did not address the breakup on any of their other social media platforms, and it is unclear if Mike will remain on TikTok.