Fitness influencer Stephanie Buttermore’s fiancé, Jeff Nippard, has spoken out for the first time following her death last month.
“Last week I spent time with Stephanie’s family and closest friends to celebrate her life and share memories with each other,” Nippard, 35, captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday, April 28. “When I think about Stephanie, I keep coming back to how loving and kind she was. She really made the world a better place.”
Nippard told followers that while Buttermore was studying for her PhD, she wrote a dissertation about a protein called RHAMM, which “could help detect ovarian cancer early.” Nippard shared a link to her dissertation for those who were interested before continuing his sweet message about Buttermore.
“It’s one of the first things that made me fall in love with her,” he continued. “On her YouTube channel, she helped people feel less alone, especially when it comes to struggling with food and body image. Her journey helped so many people be more accepting of themselves, and I love her so much for doing that.”
Nippard said that he built a “backyard garden” in Buttermore’s honor with her mom.
“Over the past few weeks, I read many of your messages, and the support has helped us all,” he added. “Stephanie’s mom loves hearing stories about the difference her daughter made. We talk almost every day and it’s been incredibly difficult but we’re making it together.”
Nippard’s caption concluded, “If you were a fan of Stephanie, then I’m a fan of you. I hope she made your life better in some way. She made my life amazing and I’m so grateful for the time we had.”
News broke on March 6 that Buttermore had died at age 36.
“It is with profound sorrow that we share the sudden passing of Jeff’s fiancée and partner of 10 years, Stephanie,” Nippard’s team announced in an Instagram statement at the time. “As many of you know, Stephanie meant the world to Jeff.”
The statement remembered Buttermore for her “warmth and compassion” along with her PhD research. Prior to her death, Buttermore had nearly 600,000 followers on Instagram and more than one million YouTube subscribers. The fitness influencer stepped away from social media in 2024 following mental health struggles.
“We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate this tragic loss,” the caption concluded. “Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time.”
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