Quick Facts
| Topic | What is publicly known |
|---|---|
| Show | Tanked on Animal Planet, which followed the Las Vegas company Acrylic Tank Manufacturing |
| Relationship | Brothers-in-law and business partners, because Wayde King was married to Brett Raymer’s sister, Heather |
| Cancellation | Confirmed by Animal Planet in March 2019 after 15 seasons |
| Are Wayde King and Brett Raymer still friends? | No official statement from either man confirms or denies it |
| Reported tension | Some outlets use the word “reportedly” for a fallout, but give no direct quotes |
When Tanked ended, many viewers assumed the two men who had argued, joked, and built giant aquariums together for years would stay close. Years later, fans still wonder whether that bond survived, and are Wayde King and Brett Raymer still friends is one of the most common questions about the cast. The honest answer is more careful than most websites admit, because neither man appears to have given a clear public statement about it. This article separates what reliable outlets reported from what fan sites have filled in on their own.
Are Wayde King and Brett Raymer Still Friends? The Honest Short Answer
There is no confirmed public statement that says they are still close, and there is none that says they have cut ties. What exists is a trail of events that makes a quiet drifting apart believable, along with a few outlets that describe a fallout in cautious language. Anything stronger than that, such as an exact date for a breakup or a quote about who said what, is not supported by the sources that can be checked.
That matters because many pages on this topic present guesses as facts. Some say the two are enemies, while others claim they still work side by side and appear at events together. Both versions are written with the same confidence, yet neither points to an interview, a social media post, or a statement from either man. A careful reader should treat both as unproven.
How Their Connection Began
Wayde King and Brett Raymer were more than television partners. According to the show’s public description, Acrylic Tank Manufacturing was owned by the two brothers-in-law, and the company felt like a family business on screen. Heather King, who is Brett’s sister and was married to Wayde, worked as the company accountant, and their father, Irwin Raymer, who fans knew as “The General,” acted as the office manager.
Because family and business were so tightly mixed, the working relationship and the personal one were hard to separate. The series premiered in August 2011, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and it featured aquariums made for well-known names such as Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy Morgan. Over the years the pair became the face of the brand, which makes any later distance between them feel especially noticeable to fans.
The 2019 Events That Changed Everything
The turning point came in March 2019. TMZ reported that Heather King was arrested on March 6 in Las Vegas on a domestic violence charge involving Wayde, and according to that report she allegedly slapped him and kicked him in the stomach during an argument. Heather reportedly told police she slapped him because he would not let her leave a room, and she denied a separate claim that he had been left hanging out of a car window, as outlets like CinemaBlend summarized TMZ’s account. Clark County records cited by the Review-Journal show that she filed for divorce on March 8.
Within days, Animal Planet confirmed that the series had ended. A network spokesperson told Deadline and TheWrap that it “came to a natural end late last year,” and TMZ’s production sources said the decision had been made months before the arrest. Brett Raymer told a local Las Vegas television station that the network shut the show down on December 20, according to TheWrap. It has never been officially confirmed that the arrest played any role in the cancellation, even though the timing led many fans to link them.
What Was Said After the Show Ended
Right after the news, Raymer said the show would “go on” and that he and Wayde hoped to start a YouTube series called Lifestyles of the Fish and Famous to promote the business. Several fan-site write-ups say the channel never really appeared, and a search by one of them found nothing under that name. That detail is often used as evidence that the partnership cooled, but a missing channel can have many causes, including simple lack of time or interest.
The most careful mainstream language comes from Screen Rant, which wrote that Wayde also “reportedly” had a fallout with his partner and close friend Brett. The word “reportedly” is important here, because the outlet does not name a source, a date, or a reason. PopCulture noted in its coverage that none of the Tanked personalities had commented on the cancellation or the divorce when it published. Taken together, these sources describe distance and silence, but not a confirmed argument between the two men.
Why Search Results Disagree
Typing “are Wayde King and Brett Raymer still friends” into a search engine brings up a mix of pages that contradict each other. One group says the friendship ended because of the divorce, the closure of the business, and personal strain. Another group says the two remain close, still run the company together, and appear at events, even though these claims often come from the same type of aggregator sites that repeat each other without naming a source.
There are other signs that these pages are unreliable. Some claim Acrylic Tank Manufacturing closed in 2018 because of cheap overseas competition, while others say it is still running in a different form, and none cite company records or a direct statement. Several pages also swap names and relationships, for example calling Heather King Brett’s wife when she is his sister. When basic family facts are wrong, the more dramatic claims about friendship deserve extra doubt.
What Is Known About Their Lives Since
Public information about what each man is doing now is thin and inconsistent. Reports describe Wayde King as keeping a lower profile since the show ended, and some say he still takes on custom tank projects, though the details vary by site and are not confirmed by official sources. Brett Raymer is described by different pages as running a restaurant, pursuing other business ventures, or appearing at charity events, and these accounts do not agree with one another.
For privacy reasons, it also makes sense to leave out the details of the King family’s personal life beyond what court records and major outlets have already reported. Heather King and the children are not public figures in the way the two hosts are, and a divorce is a painful process for any family. Respecting that boundary is also the best way to avoid repeating claims that cannot be checked.
Can Outsiders Judge a Friendship?
A friendship cannot be measured by how often two people post photos together or whether they launch a channel. Former business partners often drift apart after a company closes, and relatives can stay on speaking terms without ever being seen in public. The absence of joint appearances is a weak signal, and it should not be turned into a statement that the two have fallen out for good.
This is also a case where the family ties make things more sensitive. Because Brett is Heather’s brother and Wayde was her husband, any distance between the two men could have personal reasons that never reach the public. Without an interview or a post from either of them, the most accurate description is that their current relationship is private and unconfirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Wayde King and Brett Raymer still friends according to any official statement?
No. Neither man has published a clear statement on the subject that could be found, and the claims online come from fan sites and aggregators rather than from the two of them.
Did the arrest of Heather King cause Tanked to be canceled?
Animal Planet said the show reached a natural end, and TMZ’s production sources said the decision came months before the arrest. No official source has linked the two.
Are Wayde King and Brett Raymer related?
Yes, they are brothers-in-law because Wayde was married to Brett’s sister, Heather, and the couple’s divorce was filed in March 2019.
Is Acrylic Tank Manufacturing still in business?
Reports conflict. Some outlets say it closed after the show ended, and others say it still operates in a smaller form, so its current status is not clearly confirmed.
Did the Lifestyles of the Fish and Famous YouTube show ever launch?
It was announced as a hope by Brett Raymer in 2019, but several fan-site write-ups say nothing under that name ever appeared. No official confirmation of a launch could be found.
Is there a confirmed reason for any fallout between them?
No. The only mainstream wording is a vague report of a fallout, with no named source, date, or cause.
Conclusion
Are Wayde King and Brett Raymer still friends? The public record does not give a yes or a no, and anyone who claims certainty is going beyond what has been confirmed. What can be said is that a very difficult family event, the end of a hit show, and years of silence have left fans without a clear answer. Until one of the two men speaks for himself, the most trustworthy position is to treat the rumors on both sides with caution and respect the privacy of everyone involved.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and is based on publicly available reports and official statements available at the time of writing. Some details about the personal lives and current activities of the people mentioned are not publicly confirmed and may change. Allegations described here were reported by media outlets and should not be read as established findings. Readers are encouraged to rely on direct statements from the people involved for the most accurate information.
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I’m Muhammad Ubaid, founder of YBR Magazine. I research and write detailed guides on America’s National Parks — covering entry fees, permits, best times to visit, and planning tips — using official NPS sources and up-to-date information.
