Why ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle’s Widow Taya Hasn’t Dated Since His 2013 Death: ‘I Wasn’t Willing to Let Him Go’ (Exclusive

PEOPLE catches up with Taya Kyle and her children, Colton Kyle, 19, and McKenna Kyle, 18, who speak publicly about their hero dad for the first time

She still feels loyal to her late husband, the larger-than-life hero portrayed in the 2014 Clint Eastwood-directed blockbuster, American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris, based on his 2012 New York Times bestselling autobiography.

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Why ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle’s Widow Taya Hasn’t Dated Since His 2013 Death: ‘I Wasn’t Willing to Let Him Go’ (Exclusive)
PEOPLE catches up with Taya Kyle and her children, Colton Kyle, 19, and McKenna Kyle, 18, who speak publicly about their hero dad for the first time

By KC Baker Published on April 20, 2024 08:15AM EDT
Taya Kyle
Taya Kyle in 2024. PHOTO: NATE GRIFFIN
Taya Kyle lost her husband, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, 11 years ago, and hasn’t remarried or dated since then.

She still feels loyal to her late husband, the larger-than-life hero portrayed in the 2014 Clint Eastwood-directed blockbuster, American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris, based on his 2012 New York Times bestselling autobiography.

“There’s a line in Ed Sheeran’s song, ‘Tenerife Sea,’ that says, ‘Should this be the last thing I see, I want you to know it’s enough for me,’” Taya, 49, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

“I think there was a big loyalty part of me that wanted to let him know that he was enough for me,” she says.

On Feb. 2, 2013, the decorated sniper, 38, and his friend, Chad Littlefield, 35, were shot and killed on a Texas gun range by a former Marine they were trying to help. The shooter was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 without parole.