Jenny Slatten says she was diagnosed with ALS in December after first noticing symptoms in December 2024, when she choked badly while drinking water. The reality TV personality said on Tuesday that the disease later brought trouble swallowing and made speaking difficult, forcing her and husband Sumit Singh to confront a diagnosis they had initially tried to keep private.

Slatten, 68, said she and Singh noticed she was avoiding conversations and sometimes refusing to talk at all. Singh, 38, said the progression has been slow. The couple said they have now decided to speak publicly because they are open to treatments, clinical trials and lifestyle changes that might help.

“At first, we tried to keep it private because it’s been very emotional and overwhelming for us,” Slatten said in a statement on Instagram Tuesday. “We were hoping to find some kind of solution before speaking publicly.” She added that they had already spent time meeting with several neurologists in India, where she learned the diagnosis. “But after trying for some time, we feel like it’s time to reach out,” she said. “Right now, we are open to any kind of help — treatments, clinical trials, lifestyle changes, or anything that could help treat this disease or slow down its progression.”

Singh said, “We’re doing what we can.” He added, “And then I find out that these symptoms she was having — this is what it looks like.” Slatten also said there had been a rumor she had suffered a stroke, but that it turned out to be ALS. The diagnosis lands with unusual force for the family: her father died from ALS a decade ago.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is the most common type of Motor Neurone Disease and affects the brain and spinal cord, affecting movement, speech and independence. Early symptoms can include muscle twitches, cramps, tight or stiff muscles, weakness, slurred or nasal speech, and difficulty chewing and swallowing. Slatten and Singh first came into public view in 2019 on the first season of 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way and married in 2021. They are also set to appear in the upcoming season of 90 Day: The Last Resort, and the diagnosis now gives that return a far different weight than it would have carried before.

For Slatten, the next chapter is already clear: she is asking for help, and the disease is not something the couple is treating as finished business. The question now is whether the treatments and trials they are seeking can slow what her own family has already seen once before.