11 years have passed since Chris Kyle, the real-life Navy SEAL whose life was immortalized in the 2014 film American Sniper, was killed and his widow recently opened up about why she hasn’t dated since his death.
Taya Kyle and her children, Colton (19) and McKenna (18), recently sat down with PEOPLE to share a life update more than a decade after Chris Kyle’s murder. For Colton and McKenna it was the first time they’ve spoken publicly about their father’s death.
Who Was Chris Kyle?
Chris Kyle was a true American hero and one of the SEAL’s most decorated snipers. Kyle earned 160 confirmed kills, a Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals to his credit over the course of four Iraq War tours.
Three years after an honorable discharge from the Navy in 2009, Kyle penned an autobiography called “American Sniper” that landed on the New York Times bestseller list for an impressive 37 weeks. A movie of the same name was released two years later with Clint Eastwood as director and Bradley Cooper portraying Kyle.
In a tragic turn of events, Kyle lost his life, not at war, but at the hands of a Marine Corp. veteran he had befriended. Eddie Ray Routh shot Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield at the Rough Creek Ranch -Lodge-Resort shooting range in Erath County, Texas. Routh was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
About Chris Kyle’s Family
Taya Kyle had been married to Chris for 11 years at the time of his death. The couple met in 2001 and wed a year later. Chris and Taya had two children, Colton and McKenna, who were 8 and 6, respectively, when their father was killed.
Why His Widow Hasn’t Found Another Love
In a new interview with PEOPLE, Taya Kyle revealed that she hasn’t dated since she lost Chris eleven years ago. But, she has two good reasons: Loyalty and her children.
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“I think there was a big loyalty part of me that wanted to let him know that he was enough for me,” she told the outlet.
She added that after Chris died, “I was deep in grief. I wanted someone to hold me and tell me it would be okay. I wanted that for a while the way anyone does when they are doing it alone, but no one was Chris and I wasn’t willing to let him go.”
Taya also shared that staying close to her children when they needed her most was another important factor that kept her from finding another relationship.
Prioritizing the children is another big reason why Taya says she hasn’t dated. “I didn’t see how anyone could build a relationship with kids who needed me. I wasn’t willing to take time away from my kids for that.”
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The 49-year-old admits that her stubbornness has led to her keeping potential partners away, saying that she has felt her late husband “nudging” her toward someone on several occasions.
“But I very stubbornly felt like, ‘No, you were enough,’” she says.
For the time being, Taya is happy bring alone and spending time with her children and the tight community she’s built. But she admits that she is open to finding love again….someday.
“I believe that people who are courageous enough to love again don’t lose the love they had for their first spouse,” she says. “My dad said that love is not a zero-sum game and that we always have more to give. Maybe God has that in store for me some day and I’ll explore it.”