Alan Jackson‘s eldest daughter, Mattie, married Ben Selecman in October 2017. Ben died less than a year later after he slipped and hit his head on a boat in Florida.
He passed away on September 12, making Mattie a widow before their first anniversary.
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Mattie has spoken about her grief on podcasts, on social media, and in her 2021 book Lemons on Friday. Through these outlets, Mattie has shared how her faith helped her make it through some of her darkest moments.
After losing Ben, Mattie prayed she’d one day be able to find love again. She found that love with Connor Smith, a brother-in-law of a friend. The two of them began dating in late 2021 and just got engaged this summer.
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Mattie loves how Connor respects her marriage to Ben. She continues to honor Ben without hesitation, as she did on social media on the day that would have been their fifth anniversary:
“I knew I loved you then but I had no idea how much your love would continue to buoy and inspire my life after you left,” Mattie wrote. “I regularly hear ‘live today to the fullest’ in your East Tennessee draw[l] and keep doing my best to chase the joy that was so natural to you. What was such an overwhelming day of grief is now back to it’s rightful place as one of beautiful celebration!…Love you always General!“
You can see Mattie’s post about her and Ben’s fifth anniversary below.