Fitness YouTuber Opens Up About 'Grief' and 'Depression' After Fiancée's Death

Nearly three months after the sudden death of his fiancée, fitness YouTuber Stephanie Buttermore, bodybuilder Jeff Nippard shared a rare post on Instagram and got vulnerable with his fans about how he’s been dealing with the “grief” and depression of losing his longtime partner.

The popular fitness YouTuber explained that he’s been slowly getting back to exercising in the wake of the tragedy, saying that, “Working out during grief has been one of those things that I really don’t want to do but I’m glad I did once it’s done.” Understandably, the mental and physical effects have impacted his usual routine.

Related: Bodybuilder Jeff Nippard Breaks Silence on Fiancée Stephanie Buttermore’s Death

“My depression has been bad,” he admitted. “So my strength is down a lot and for the first time I can remember, I have no real desire to workout. That said, I do find that if I just say to myself, ‘go in and lift the empty bar up and down 10 times, that’s better than nothing’ … at least I get moving. After that, if I still want to stop, I will.”

He said that he usually finds that once he gets started, he usually ends up finishing and feeling “better” afterward.

Nippard rose to fame for his science-based, drug-free bodybuilding channel, which gained attention after he earned the title of Mr. Junior Canada in 2012 and broke the Canadian national record for the bench press in 2014. He famously built “the most scientific gym on the planet” that doubled as a muscle research facility in 2025, but his workouts these days have been much more basic.

“I’ve been staying in my friend’s basement for the past few weeks and he has a barbell and a dumbbell down there,” he shared in the new post, which showed several videos of the different exercises he’s been doing. “So I’ve been getting back to my roots with some basic strength training again.” He added that he’s actually been enjoying the more minimal setup because “the constraints force [him] to get creative.”

Related: Why Stephanie Buttermore Quit YouTube 2 Years Before Her Death

Finally, the star thanked his fans for supporting him thought his social media break while he grieves and gets back on his feet.

Nippard announced the death of 36-year-old Buttermore on Instagram on March 6, 2026, writing, “It is with profound sorrow that we share the sudden passing of Jeff’s fiancée and partner of ten years, Stephanie.” The couple had been together since 2014 and got engaged in October 2022.