My 600-lb Life star Nicole Lewis first approached bariatric surgeon Dr. Now when she was just
23 years old and weighed over 700 pounds. Thankfully, after gastric sleeve surgery and
a complete lifestyle overhaul, Lewis managed to shed over 300 pounds. But there's more
to Nicole's story than just her weight. This is her untold truth.
If there's one thing that's abundantly clear from Lewis' Season 5 episode of My 600-lb
Life, it is that she endured an overwhelming amount of obstacles growing up.
"I thought she'd lose the weight when she got older, but she just kept getting bigger
and bigger and bigger."
Her father was in and out of prison for as long as she can remember, rendering her home
life quite chaotic. Additionally, her parents abused drugs, which resulted in frequent conflicts.
Nicole summed it all up on Facebook, writing,
"I didn't have the best childhood."
That's how she ended up turning to food for comfort in the first place, which in turn
caused her to gain the weight. Because of all the uncertainty that Lewis endured, including
her father's absences and the fact that she and her family moved around a lot, Lewis had
a hard time putting roots down and making local friends. She added,
"I never really had a lot of people in my circle, so my circle was based around social
media. That was always my outlet."
Lewis was especially active on YouTube, although she also had MySpace and Facebook accounts
as well.
Every episode of My 600-lb Life begins with a shower scene in which the show's stars have
to strip down and bathe in front of the camera. And in Lewis' shower scene, which became one
of the more notorious moments on the series, she was unable to fit in the bathroom. Instead,
her boyfriend Charlie bathed her on the back porch using a garden hose. And as Lewis tells
it, she wasn't exactly thrilled about having that intimate moment recorded. She explained
in an interview with Rover Radio,
"When they came to my house, they were like, 'Okay, we have to do a shower scene, we have
to do real life stuff…for you to be a part of this process."
"I can't fit in the bathroom door. I can't fit in the bathroom door, Mom."
So why did she cave to the pressure and allow the crew to film her at her most vulnerable?
It turns out, it was for a very good reason. She said,
"It was either, me not let them do that, and me not get the help, and possibly not be around
another year, or just to let it happen."
For Lewis, just sitting at home, flipping through TV channels can be a brutal experience.
Especially if she happens to come across her episode of the show. She admitted in a Facebook
post,
"I was embarrassed, sitting back and re-watching my episodes."
That's especially the case for her debut episode of My 600-lb Life. It reminds her of where
she was at the time, which was rock bottom. She added,
"I hate the episode because that was a point in my life where…I shouldn't have existed
other than for my children. I was an annoyance to my family, is what I felt."
"Every day when I get up I feel like I'm dying."
Fortunately, Lewis doesn't harbor any ill will toward the production crew who were on
set with her during filming. She said,
"The film crews are all great, they're mostly caring and loving, and they just want to help
you help yourself."
Lewis also likes to keep her distance from the follow-up segment My 600-lb Life: Where
Are They Now? She explained on Facebook,
"I only watched my episode once because I don't want to see the crappy mistakes, the
s---ty footage that they capture, filming me doing [bad things]. I fast forward stuff."
But despite how painful it is for Lewis to rewatch her episodes, she continued working
with producers in 2019 for some very specific reasons. She revealed to fans,
"I am still filming. I will continue to work with Dr. Now just to be able to have his guidance,
have his help, and be able to get my skin removal."
"I'm trying to make myself better."
Lewis added that her goal is to be as happy and healthy as possible, and she has every
intention of achieving it.
While Lewis did work with My 600-lb Life's production company Megalomedia for a second
installment of My 600-lb Life: Where are They Now?, it appears that things have since gone
south. In Spring of 2020, Lewis filed a lawsuit against the production company, becoming the
seventh cast member to do so, according to Starcasm.
Specifically, Lewis sued Megalomedia for fraud, with a claim stating that the company agreed
to pay for her medical costs related to surgery but never followed through. The claim also
asserts that Megalomedia agreed to pay for her relocation to Texas and six months of
rent as well following skin removal surgery, but alleges that they never coughed up a dime.
At the time, she hadn't yet gotten the skin surgery either, according to the suit.
"I don't recognize myself anymore."
Lewis is also asking for Megalomedia to pay for the damages that the whole situation has
caused, though she did not specify an amount in the paperwork. As for what Lewis has to
say about the lawsuit, she's been mum on the topic, at least publicly, as of mid 2020.
By the end of both her regular episode and her follow-up segment on My 600-lb Life, it
was clear that Lewis was working the program and getting results. And this was despite
the fact that she and her family were evicted from their Texas residence and had to return
to Ohio.
"It's just really hard right now. And I'm worried about what that's gonna mean for me,
doing Dr Now's program."
But like many people who lose a significant amount of weight, Lewis ran into challenges
that caused her to abandon her diet once she was back home. But as Lewis tells it, it's
only a temporary setback. Posting a before and after, and citing where she started in
2016, she wrote on Facebook,
"I may not be even close to where I'm supposed to be. But this…shows…that I'm sure as
heck not where I began in 2016."
But still, Lewis said she plans to re-train her thinking in order to be more positive
about her journey. She added,
"I have been so focused on how much weight I've gained. When I should be focused on how
much I've lost!"
Easily the most important people in Lewis' life are her children, something she's been
open to talking about. But one thing she's been a little less forthcoming about is the
intense trauma she and her son Jaden experienced when he was born not breathing, due to an
infant diabetic attack. Fortunately, medical staff was able to quickly intervene, which
led to a life-affirming first cry. She wrote to her son on Facebook,
"That's a sound I'll never forget, or the blueness of your face from you not breathing.
They took you from me, rushed you to the NICU and I was [quickly] carted off into intensive
care."
"I was over 600 pounds then. And it almost killed my newborn child."
Lewis didn't get to bond with her son immediately, but once he was stabilized, she was finally
able to hold her baby boy. She added,
"On the third day after being born was my 21st birthday. I was sitting in my hospital
bed, and I got a call from the NICU saying they [were] bringing you to me. I was so excited!…That
was the best birthday I ever had."
Lewis' fame from the show netted her plenty of fans and a supportive community on social
media, but she also faced naysayers who showed up on her page with an agenda. She shared
on Facebook,
"I know I get a lot of hate for some of the crazy stuff…about me being a crappy mom,
me gaining weight, or me stalling."
"One time I said to my son, do you love Mama? And he looked over at my mom and smiled."
But rather than indulge the trolls or go down a rabbit hole of self-doubt, Lewis has learned
to let the hate roll right off her back. She added,
"Hate me, love me, disrespect me, or cherish what I'm sharing with you, I'm at this point
in my life. I don't care for the negative thoughts. I get messages from people and I
just read them and laugh."
When Lewis weighed over 700 pounds, she struggled mightily with her mobility. But after shedding
hundreds of pounds, she was able to start reclaiming aspects of her life that had been
put on hold. And that included finding employment, something she looked to do in 2018 after scoring
an interview. She wrote on Facebook at the time,
"Wish me luck. It's been about 4 years. But since I've regained my life…why not work,
finish school, and be a full time momma!"
About a week later, Lewis took to social media to celebrate the job offer she managed to
snag, writing,
"I worked so hard for this. [I] go in tomorrow for paperwork and all that jazz!"
As for what exactly the job entails, the star wouldn't say, even though plenty of fans asked
about it. Perhaps she wanted to keep this information private so no one bothers her
at work.
While the My 600-lb Life stars' love lives are featured on the series, many of those
couples eventually split up due to a number of factors. But some of the romantic partnerships
are built to last through the hard times and the good. That's been the case for Lewis and
her boyfriend Charlie, who celebrated six years together in 2019. But it appears that
it's not all wine and roses for the couple. They have their difficulties, with Lewis writing
on Facebook,
"Charlie's here for me and stuff, but he's kinda happy where he's at in his life with
his weight, and he doesn't want to lose weight, so I'm kinda stuck doing everything on my
own now."
"That's one thing that brings us together is our love of…"
"...food, but chips, most definitely. We're chip connoisseurs."
"Oh yeah. Oh yeah."
Still, she was quick to add that she thinks Charlie is a great father and partner. As
for whether or not the couple will get married, that remains unclear. The couple decided to
put off any wedding plans during their Season 4 episode of My 600-lb Life: Where Are They
Now, while Nicole dealt with her father's simultaneous prison sentence and cancer diagnosis.
"My dad actually got arrested. And he also found out he has pancreatic cancer and has
less than a year to live. So it's just a lot."
Even so, we're pretty sure these two are in it for the long haul.
Sharp-eyed fans have noticed that Lewis often wears clothing that boasts a cartoon character
holding a hatchet. It's an image she also has tattooed on her chest and has stuck all
over her truck. As it turns out, that's the symbol for Psychopathic Records and its artists,
which include Insane Clown Posse, and their fans, known as juggalos. One fellow juggalo
told the Detroit Metro Times,
"It is a symbol of loyalty, and looking out for the family, and artists on the label cutting
down anything that gets in the way as they run beneath the streets."
In addition to the merch she wears and the ink on her skin, Lewis also got an uplifting
mention from Faygoluvers Heaven, a Facebook group for juggalos and their lady counterparts,
juggalettes. The admin wrote on the page,
"Show some love to this Juggalette going through an amazing weight loss transformation. Keep
up the good work!"
Clearly, this girl is a diehard juggalette.
While some reality TV stars may be standoffish in public, or unlikely to indulge in selfie
and autograph requests, that's not how Lewis rolls. In fact, she specifically welcomes
the connection when fans see her out on the street. She shared on Facebook,
"If you see me in public, come up and say hi to me. I may need to be cheered up."
And if you have a question for Lewis or want to ask her for advice, don't hold back on
social media either. She said,
"Shoot me a message, and just ask me how I am because I try my best to respond to people."
Lewis knows that everyone goes through tough times just like she does, and she's empathetic
toward others. But if you want to shame Lewis or offer her criticism, you can go ahead and
keep that to yourself. She doesn't have time for trolls.
"I just, I never thought I would be able to do this. And I'm just so thankful that I have
been able to do this and stick with it."
We admire Lewis for her bravery in sharing her story on the show, as well as her commitment
to focusing on her health and her family. Here's hoping for the best as she continues
on her journey!
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about your favorite
celebs are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss
a single one.