Amanda Kloots became known to the greater public for one of the most painful reasons. Four months ago, she lost her husband, actor Nick Cordero, to COVID-19. Nick battled the illness for months, receiving procedure after procedure and even undergoing a leg amputation, before he finally succumbed to the devastating virus. In the wake of his death, Amanda has been open about what she has gone through and continues to go through. His death happened publicly and, therefore, so has her grief.
Through it all, the fitness instructor turned social media star has become a fixture of hope. Amanda is real as can be, but she works hard to stay positive through her pain. It has earned her a lot of attention, too. People are just blown away by her energy. It's so inspiring, she even earned a guest spot on the daytime show, The Talk. She's also cowritten a memoir about love and grief.
Now, for the first time, Amanda is opening up about something pretty powerful — the possibility of finding new love.
It has to be painful to even think about at this point. Amanda's husband died only a few short months ago. Time in grief moves differently, too. Amanda is just beginning to settle into a new normal, as she learns to move through life with her and Nick's young son, Elvis.
But Amanda didn't shy away from the question when a follower on Instagram asked her if she sees herself finding love. She told followers they could ask her anything, and the 38-year-old answered.
"I hope so. I would love to find love again," she said. "I would've told Nick this if it would've been me on my deathbed, and I think he would've been saying the same thing to me if he could've talked."
Of course, Nick would want his wife to find love once again. But that doesn't change the fact that grieving the loss of your husband changes the entire shape of your life. It will likely be some time before Amanda is able to open up to someone new. However, people grieve in different ways. The fact that she's open to a new love one day is a wonderful first step to finding it.
In the candid Instagram chat, another fan asked her what the toughest part of grieving Nick's loss is. She said, "I would say the times that it hits you. It comes at waves — different times, all the time — and you never know when. It's the hardest."
For Amanda, the grief doesn't ever really leave. It's always with her at this point. She compared it to a backpack. "It's always on you. It's always a part of you," she explained. "Some days it's heavier than others. Some days you don't even know it's there. Some days you do."
Amanda has been through so much in the past several months. From watching Nick first fall ill and having to stay home and keep away from him almost the entire time he was in the hospital to finally having to say goodbye. But she's also proven that no matter what, it's possible to pick yourself up and keep moving forward, no matter how tough it gets.
Amanda has accomplished some amazing things, too. Not only has she gained a huge following on social media, but she's also become outspoken about important issues, like the 2020 presidential election. She has also become a popular guest cohost on the hit daytime TV show, The Talk. And she cowrote a book.
But perhaps the most important thing Amanda has accomplished is simply moving forward in her own life. That, in and of itself, is a huge feat. It's not easy to be a single mother. But it's certainly not easy to get up every day and parent your child after losing your spouse. Amanda just keeps going.
We have no idea what the future holds for Amanda when it comes to finding love. But if her hopeful spirit is any indication of her future happiness, we're guessing she's going to be just fine. Of course, the road of grieving is long and treacherous. But we know that Amanda is not one to give up.
Amanda gives a lot of credit to her son for helping her on the toughest days. "Thank God I have a little piece of my husband," she said of Elvis. "Anytime I'm sad, he brightens my mood in two seconds. He looks at me with his big smile and his little teeth, and I'm instantly transported into a different mood."
