Woman Realizes Marriage Is Falling Apart While Pregnant. After Giving Birth, She Texts Husband Asking for Divorce (Exclusive)

Sierra Freeman and her partner Caleb got married on Oct. 10, 2020

• Sierra Freeman met her partner Caleb in 2018 at a local warehouse where they both worked. Eventually, they welcomed their son, Rowan, who is now 2½ years old

• During her pregnancy, Freeman, who works in healthcare, began noticing that she and Caleb were growing apart

• Eventually, Freeman texted Caleb to let him know she wanted to separate

• She posted a video about the situation on TikTok, sharing screenshots of her conversation with Caleb. The video quickly went viral, amassing more than 14 million views and 7,000 comments

Sierra Freeman is going viral for her unconventional way of ending her marriage.

The 28-year-old from Kentucky met her partner Caleb in 2018 at a local warehouse where they both worked. They quickly hit it off and began talking, and a few years later, on Oct. 10, 2020, they got married. Not long after, they welcomed their son, Rowan, who is now 2½ years old.

During her pregnancy, Freeman, who works in healthcare, began noticing that she and Caleb were growing apart. She tells PEOPLE that, at the time, she didn’t have anyone to lean on but her work family. After Rowan was born, the distance between them only grew.

"When we got home from our first family trip with my side of the family, we had a talk. We both cried and agreed to give it one last try," she says. "We worked on it for another month, but nothing was changing. It just wasn’t working."

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While at work on Sept. 21, 2024, Freeman texted Caleb to let him know she wanted to separate. She says she had "no hesitation" about asking for a divorce via text because she felt in-person conversations often led to one of them getting upset, which made it harder to communicate.

Leading up to the text, Freeman only confided in her best friend, Kristie, who had noticed that things weren’t going well.

"This was how we did it, and it worked out wonderfully," she says.

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Caleb, Freeman explains, had the same feelings and simply wanted to ensure he could still be involved in their son’s life. "He just wanted to make sure he was still going to be Rowan’s dad (which he is), and our co-parenting has been going well," she adds. "I will always love him; he’s my very best friend, but just not as a husband."

Afterward, Freeman posted a video about the situation on TikTok, sharing screenshots of her conversation with Caleb. The video quickly went viral, amassing more than 14 million views and 7,000 comments.

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When Freeman saw the video take off, she was "shocked." She didn’t expect it to go viral, but has been blown away by the outpouring of support from other moms and women who have thanked her for sharing her story.

"I don’t know why I wanted to share it on TikTok — it just sorta happened," she says. "I wanted to tell people that you can co-parent, you don’t have to stay in an unhappy marriage, and you don’t have to share every detail of your life, but I still wanted to let moms know they aren’t alone. If they want out, they can make the move too."

Some of the comments, Freeman admits, have been harsh, but she doesn't let them affect her anymore. "I know it’s not for everyone, but I want to be open about my life on social media to help others. I enjoy it," she says.

Since sending the texts, Freeman has moved out and found a new home for herself and Rowan, while Caleb has kept their old house. By the end of the year, they plan to be officially divorced. For now, they are focused on navigating the upcoming holidays together as co-parents.

"For the future, I hope he finds someone who can love him the way he needs and love my son like their own, and for us to continue communicating and keeping things healthy for our son," she says.

"I’ve been through so much, that this bump in the road isn’t that bad," she continues. "The first two weeks were the absolute worst, but now things have finally made sense, and we’re both happy. That’s all I care about."