Death is inevitable, whether you're only 12 pounds or 600.
These are the TLC stars you might not know have died.
In Season 1 of "My 600-lb Life,"
viewers watched as Henry Foots shed over 400 pounds in seven years — after having weighed in
at 750 pounds at the start of his weight loss journey. With the help of Dr. Now, Foots soon
became a success story for the ages. But he faced more than his share of troubles along the way.
After his heart stopped during an excess skin removal surgery, Foots recalled,
"It was just like having an out-of-body experience. There was
the light to take me to Heaven. […] I wasn't ready for it."
Although the reality star had so much to look forward to,
local outlet Click2Houston reported in 2012 that Foots lost control of a shuttle bus he
was driving, due to a "medical episode," and he struck and killed a pedestrian.
Sadly, Foots died a year later of unrelated causes, at the age of 54.
Sean Milliken appeared
on Season 4 of "My 600-lb Life" and was entirely bed-ridden,
weighing almost 1,000 pounds. He relied heavily on the help of his mother for nearly everything,
and the two moved to Houston so he could begin his weight loss journey with Dr. Now.
After undergoing a successful gastric bypass, Milliken eventually lost over 400 pounds.
But in 2017, the star shared on a "Where Are They
Now" follow-up episode that his mother had passed away.
"This past month, things got really bad. Because my mother passed away."
The Cinemaholic also reported that Milliken lost his home and everything he owned to Hurricane
Harvey. Two years later, he landed in the hospital with an infection, during which time his heart
stopped. His father then posted on Facebook that Sean had died, in 2019, at just 29 years old.
In Season 5 of "My 600-lb
Life," viewers met James King who weighed 735 pounds. And while he appeared to want to turn
his life around when he met with Dr. Now, he eventually gained even more weight and
clocked in at 788 pounds. With surgery deemed too risky, Dr. Now formally discharged him.
"I've never been to jail, but I feel like that's what I'm in."
Then, in a follow up episode, fans were shocked to learn that King had maxed out at 840 pounds,
but had since managed to get down to 600. Still, The Sun reported that in 2020,
King died of "kidney failure" at 49 years old. A source told the outlet:
"He weighed about 500 pounds when he passed away. He would have been proud of himself."
Robert Buchel debuted on
Season 6 of "My 600-lb Life," weighing in at 842 pounds. He had hopes that he would
one day be able to meet his fiancée as she walked down the aisle on their wedding day.
"I made my life a prison and I've imprisoned Kathryn and my mother too, with me."
The reality star lost 340 pounds, but a subsequent surgery left him depressed and
addicted to pain meds. Although he went to rehab, he refused to stick to his weight loss regimen.
In 2017 — while filming the show — Buchel died of a heart attack,
at 41 years old. His fiancée Kathryn posted to Facebook:
"Rob had a hard life and in the last 2 months
he finally had hope for the life he always wanted. […] Rob suffered from never realizing
how good a man he was. […] Thank you all for validating my love for him."
Fan favorite James L.B.
Bonner was featured on Season 6 of "My 600-lb Life" — addicted to food and alcohol.
And things only got worse for him when he lost his foot in an ATV accident in 2013.
"There's days where I feel so worthless. I think, 'I'd be better off in the ground.'"
But despite his challenges, the star sought the help of Dr. Now to get his life back on track.
Bonner was able to get sober and go from a whopping 642 pounds,
all the way down to 326. After the show, he stayed on track and even kept fans updated on Instagram.
But there was a struggle brewing that no one saw from the outside.
According to TMZ, Bonner took his own life in 2018, at 30 years old.
Lisa Fleming starred
on Season 6 of "My 600-lb Life,"
hoping to lose enough weight — and get healthy enough — to watch her grandchildren grow up.
"This is not the life I wanted. My life is a mess."
Lisa started her journey at 704 pounds, but she had obvious trouble sticking to Dr. Now's program.
After making no progress with her weight after six months,
she was let go as a patient. Sadly, in 2018, her daughter told TMZ that
Lisa had died at the age of 50, even after managing to lose 200 pounds. She explained,
"At the end she was sick and her body was tired and her body just gave out."
Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life"
featured Kelly Mason who debuted at 725 pounds, with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure.
"I feel trapped in this body. And every day is painful."
After her surgery, Mason eventually left the hospital with a total weight loss of
324 pounds. After getting discharged, she shared:
"I feel like I have the opportunity of my life and I'm gonna take advantage of it."
Sadly, while production was still filming,
the reality star died of heart failure in 2019, just before her 42nd birthday.
Destinee LaShaee made
history on "My 600-lb Life" Season 7 as the first transgender star to appear on the show.
"All I'm constantly doing is just trying to escape all my depression and pain
at this point. And food is the only thing I have to turn to, to do that."
She debuted at just under 700 pounds and lost a whopping 500 pounds. But while she proudly
conquered weight loss, she also struggled with drug abuse and her mental health. According
to Us Weekly, LaShaee's brother confirmed her death on Facebook in 2022. She was 30 years old.
Coliesa McMillian's story
in Season 8 of "My 600-lb Life" was truly heartbreaking. A mother to four daughters,
she confessed that her life was completely overrun by her obsession with food. She said,
"I wasted my life on food. Just the hunger and the need and the desire. It has taken over my life,
and I am exhausted from this life. It feels like my body is trying to give up,
I can feel it, but I can't give up. I have to be here for my children."
"My big fear has always been that it's gonna be too late for me."
McMillian started her journey weighing 643 pounds, and ultimately shed nearly 150 pounds.
But after being approved for surgery by Dr. Now, she suffered complications,
with TMZ reporting that she was on life support in March 2020. Eventually,
the outlet published the news that McMillian had died in September 2020 at the age of 41.
In Season 8 of "My
600-lb Life," viewers met Gina Krasley. At the start of her journey on the show,
she weighed over 600 pounds and relied heavily on her wife Beth. Krasley went to Dr. Now for help,
but was not approved for surgery after failing to lose enough weight for the procedure to be safe.
"I can't stop. I just want more and more and more."
Tragically, Us Weekly reported that Krasley died in 2021,
at home, with her family by her side. Before her death, she had updated fans
on her declining health on YouTube where she revealed that she could no longer walk
and had no feeling in her hands. She was just 30 years old when she died.
Switching gears with another TLC series, on Season 2 of "90 Day Fiancé," viewers met Florida native Jason
Hitch who was eagerly anticipating meeting his Brazilian girlfriend,
Cassia Tavares, at the airport. The couple had a 15-year age gap, and they often clashed over
Hitch's financial issues and Cassia's outgoing personality. As Hitch said on one episode:
"I don't think I'm going to sleep at all for the next 90 days because I'm
going to be walking around thinking, 'What do I have to do today to keep her happy?'"
Despite their differences, the couple ended up getting hitched before the 90 days were up.
But according to Radar, the pair divorced in 2018, with Hitch stating:
"A successful relationship is communication, physical attraction, and doing whatever it takes.
Right now it's time to go in different directions. I think we'll remain friends."
Three years later, TMZ reported that Hitch died in December 2021 from COVID at the age of 45. Cassia
— who had gotten married in 2021 — shared her thoughts on the sad news, writing on Instagram:
"It's always sad when someone you spent part of your life with
stops breathing. I guess one could never be prepared for that. I wasn't today."
"Teddy, this is not about you."
Fans were first introduced to Big
Ed during Season 4 of "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days" where he was preparing to head to the
Philippines to meet the love of his life, Rose. But that also meant that he would have to leave
his beloved dog Teddy behind. On the show, Ed explained that Teddy was his "best friend" adding:
"I cannot think about my life without Teddy.
Love you, buddy. He's somebody that I can talk to, he's somebody that listens."
While Ed and Rose's whirlwind relationship didn't end up working out, Ed landed a spot on the series
spin-off, "90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life." But late in Season 2, Ed shared the devastating news
that Teddy had died after they returned home from a trip to Mexico. Ed revealed,
"I kept petting him, and he just kept looking at me that night
like he knew he was going somewhere."
As Ed explained, Teddy peacefully passed away after Ed had briefly
fallen asleep. Although viewers learned of Teddy's death in a January 2022 episode,
Ed had already shared the heartbreaking news in August 2021 on Instagram.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available.
Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website
or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).