My 600-Lb Life Stars Who Sadly Died

The following article includes mentions of mental health issues, suicide, substance use, sexual abuse, and child abuse.

"My 600-lb Life" is a popular docuseries on TLC that follows morbidly obese patients as they begin their journey to lose weight. Someone is considered morbidly obese when they weigh over 100 pounds more than their ideal body mass index (BMI), as "defined by the ratio of an individual's height to his or her weight," according to Highland Hospital. Participants in "My 600-lb Life" typically weigh about 600 pounds or above when we are introduced to them.

The series' subjects are patients of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, or Dr. Now for short. They're seeking bariatric surgery to help with weight loss, but they have to qualify for it by following Dr. Now's diet plan and losing some weight on their own first. Dr. Now's patients have individual diet plans, but must adhere to some basic rules, per Noom. Patients follow a 1200 calorie diet and eat only low-carb, low-fat, and high-protein foods. All sugar, most fruit, and most carbs are off-limits. High-protein, lean meats, vegetables, and water are the staples of this plan.

Most of the time, if people are determined to lose weight, the plan works well when combined with weight-loss surgery and Dr. Now's guidance. But someone who weighs 600 pounds or more is at high risk for health problems, even after surgery. Several of the people who appeared on the show have sadly died, some from weight-related conditions. Here's what we know about these late "My 600-lb Life" stars.

Henry Foots appeared on Season 1 of "My 600-lb Life." At the beginning of his episode, he weighed 715 pounds. By the end of his seven-year journey, he weighed 275 pounds for a total weight loss of 440 pounds. The jovial man is one of Dr. Now's biggest success stories, but the rest of his story is tragic.

Foots had personal setbacks as he tried to lose weight on the show, like the death of his father and losing his job after he put so much effort into rejoining the workforce. Additionally, Foots' heart stopped amid one of his excess skin removal surgeries, and he had to be resuscitated. "I saw a white light," the TV star revealed during his episode (via Starcasm). "It was just like having an out-of-body experience. There was the light to take me to Heaven, [but] I wasn't ready for it." Noting that he had more to do, like marry his longtime girlfriend, the duo wed at the end of the episode.

After filming, however, Foots sadly faced more hardship. In November 2012, he suffered an undisclosed "medical episode" while driving a commercial bus, and lost control of the vehicle at an intersection, killing a pedestrian, according to Click2Houston.com. Foots died less than a year later on May 16, 2013, at age 54. His obituary stated that he "went home to be with the Lord." While Foots' cause of death is unknown, it was reportedly unrelated to the accident or his weight.

Renee Milliken was not an official patient of Dr. Now's, but she was prominently featured on her son, Sean Milliken's, episodes of "My 600-lb Life." Mother and son had an unhealthy dynamic, because Renee would enable Sean to eat more calories than his strict diet allowed. For a patient like Sean, who weighed 1003 pounds at his highest, a relationship like that is potentially deadly. By Sean's episode of "My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?" Dr. Now was concerned that Renee's behavior resembled Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

"The reality is that [Sean's] mother is preventing him from ever making any real progress and then she tries to create the perception that he's constantly sick and she's the only one [who] can take care of him," Dr. Now said. "It is starting to resemble Munchausen syndrome by proxy where the parents allow the child to be hurt or hurt the child so that they get sympathy — and it has to stop immediately." Dr. Now's assessment of Renee led him to tell her that she was "killing him" on camera.

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a mental illness, and Dr. Now was trying to do the best he could to keep Sean and Renee separated for their safety. But sadly, Renee died of renal failure while Sean's "Where Are They Now?" episode was being filmed. "I'm devastated," Sean said. "And I don't know what to do now, because my mom was everything to me." Sean's father, Matt Milliken, visited to help him transition to independence.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, or call the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).

Sean Milliken was introduced in Season 4 of "My 600-lb Life" as a young man who was dependent on his mother, Renee, and who weighed 1003 pounds at his highest, as previously mentioned. "I am a prisoner, all I want is out," Milliken said of his body during his episode (via the Daily Mail), explaining that he began over-eating as a child in order to cope with his parents' divorce. Milliken also experienced a severe leg injury in high school. The combination left him bedridden.

Reluctant to join Dr. Now's weight loss program, Milliken's attitude — and the fact that his mother enabled him not to follow his strict diet — caused the doctor to hospitalize him. Eventually approved for weight loss surgery, Milliken got down to 548 pounds, but started gaining weight again, per his "My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?" episode.

In 2017, Milliken's mother died. Soon after, he lost his home in Hurricane Harvey. A neighbor and friend, Ashley Boone, told Radar, "I think [Renee's death] changed him because he had to become independent which he'd never been before." In February 2019, TMZ reported that Milliken died of complications stemming from an infection. Per the outlet, his father, Matt, revealed on Facebook, "[Sean] was having problems with his breathing, they were able to resuscitate him and a short time later his heart stopped." Milliken was only 29.

"My 600-lb Life" star James King appeared on Season 5 of the TLC series. During his episode, King revealed that food became his "joy and safety" throughout his difficult childhood. In addition to his family struggling financially, King barely knew his mother, who wasn't around as she struggled with alcoholism. Shortly after reconnecting with her, the then-15-year-old's mother died of liver cancer. During her funeral, the family's home burned down. "I just lost about everything I had in a single day," said King, whose struggle with overeating began to get out of control.

Although King sought Dr. Now's help, he actually gained weight throughout the process, beginning the show at 735 pounds and weighing in at 788 pounds at the end of his documented journey. When King appeared on the "My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?" spinoff, he weighed 840 pounds, before going down to 600. However, he is also one of a handful of patients who Dr. Now discharged — TLC stopped filming King, because he apparently wasn't cooperating with the process.

In April 2020, The U.S. Sun reported that King died of kidney failure caused by septic shock, with a source revealing, "He weighed about 500 pounds when he passed away. He would have been proud of himself." He was 49. At the time, TLC released a statement on Twitter: "TLC was deeply saddened by the loss of James King. ... Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time."

If you or anyone you know needs help 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).

Robert Buchel was sadly the first of three participants featured on Season 6 of "My 600-lb Life" to die. Buchel grew up around fattening food, as his family owned a fried chicken restaurant, but later used food to cope with trauma beginning at age 9, when he was sexually assaulted by a neighbor. However, Buchel's eating habits were at their worst after his brother died, because he felt guilty for being alive.

Buchel was 842 pounds when he began his weight loss journey with Dr. Now. He was determined to lose weight so that he could meet his fiancée, Kathryn, halfway down the aisle at their wedding. Buchel's body was in such bad shape that he couldn't undergo weight loss surgery right away, but he did have lymphedema removal surgery. While he eventually lost 340 pounds, per Starcasm, Buchel — who also had a history of abusing pain medication — got depressed post-surgery and started refusing to exercise and comply with the program. He sadly died of a heart attack at age 41 in November 2017.

"Robert continued to struggle to stay active as his body deteriorated further. Unfortunately, he couldn't overcome how fast his body was failing and he suffered a heart attack," TLC reported during his episode. "He was rushed to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do. He did not survive." Dr. Nowzaradan expressed condolences to Buchel's mother and fiancée.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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).

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

James "LB" Bonner has one of the most tragic stories in "My 600-lb Life" history, but his weight loss journey appeared to be a successful one. Bonner weighed 642 pounds when we met him, and his last weigh-in on the show he was 326 pounds.

Bonner had previously started overeating as a child to cope with the death of a beloved aunt who would always give him snacks, but following his Season 6 episode, the star continued to eat healthily, as seen on his Instagram account. But the seemingly positive Bonner might have been hiding an inner struggle. According to TMZ, he was found dead when the police came by to perform a welfare check on him, in a Lexington, South Carolina park in August 2018. The 30-year-old's death was later ruled a suicide. 

"I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support throughout my journey. ... I've realized a few things over the last few days and its time that, I face my demons head on," Bonner wrote in a disturbing Facebook post prior to his death. "No matter what you change or the efforts you put forth in life, sometimes you just have to take it on the chin and deal with things your own way. ... Again, thank y'all so much. ... Please don't ever let people you care about not know how you feel."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Lisa Fleming's story was told on Season 6 of "My 600-lb Life." She was also one of the most difficult patients we've seen Dr. Now deal with on camera. Fleming had developed eating issues early on in life, in part because her mother had used food as a means of punishing her. When we met her, Fleming, who was bed-bound and sleeping in the same bed her mother had died in due to obesity-related issues, explained that she also used food to cope with her parents' divorce, as well as "witness[ing] her brother's murder."

Fleming was 704 pounds when she started Dr. Now's program. However, when she failed to make much progress on her own without a hospital-controlled diet after six months, Dr. Now had to drop her as a patient. 

Fleming's daughter, Danielle, later told TMZ that her mom lost 200 pounds following her TLC episode, but she sadly died at her home from other health issues in August 2018. "At the end she was sick and her body was tired and her body just gave out," Danielle told the outlet. Fleming was 50 years old.

Kelly Mason appeared on Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life." With an extensive history of health issues, including type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure, she weighed in at 726 pounds. Mason's already poor eating habits — she essentially grew up on fast food and found comfort in eating amid her troubled childhood — got even worse after she was raped by a neighbor at nine years old. After witnessing her abuser die in a car accident, she ate even more due to her guilt for feeling relief over their death. She later overate to cope with a miscarriage when she was 19.

Mason was one of Dr. Now's hardest-working patients. She eventually qualified for surgery after hospital and rehab stays, and her weight got down to 383 pounds. Unfortunately, Mason's weight loss didn't prevent her heart from failing, and she died in her sleep during the 10th month of her filmed journey in February 2019, according to Distractify. She was 41.

"I was still very hopeful that we would be able to get [Kelly] out of [the] state of heart failure," Dr. Now explained during Mason's episode. "At Kelly's appointment with me a few weeks ago, her weight loss was on track. So, [her death] was not a result of her starting to go back to her old habits. She was working hard and doing what she needed [to do]. But despite that, the damage to her heart up to this point was just too severe."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Coliesa McMillian appeared on Season 8 of "My 600-lb Life." She started the show at 643 pounds, and explained during her episode that she began eating to deal with familial trauma, including her father's struggle with alcoholism, her mother's death, being separated from her siblings and put in foster care, and alleged molestation and rape at the hands of biological family members. Later, she got into an abusive relationship. McMillian also survived a heart attack at 39 years old, and grieved the sudden death of her fiancé after a fatal car accident.

While McMillian struggled with Dr. Now's diet, she was approved for weight loss surgery, because she was making slow progress, and Dr. Now had concerns that she had an intestinal blockage. At the end of her episode, she had lost 145 pounds in total. "Dr. Now is just like my own personal angel," she said. McMillian seemed to be a success story, but later suffered complications from her surgery when a suture "popped." According to Starcasm, she was hemorrhaging, septic, and put on life support. McMillian eventually did wake up, but her body unfortunately couldn't recover from the complications. 

In September 2020, a Facebook group that updated fans on McMillian's condition only revealed in a comment, "Coliesa Kay Lee had health problems from her surgery and it just ended her life." She was 41 years old, per TMZ.

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).

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Gina Krasley — who was featured on Season 8 of "My 600-lb Life" in 2020 — sadly died on August 1, 2021. Her cause of death was not mentioned in her obituary, but The U.S. Sun reported that Krasley was experiencing some mysterious symptoms in the months before her death, and had shared some details with fans via vlogs.

"I still can't walk yet, still have really no feeling in my hands," she was quoted as saying in her last vlog that June. Noting that doctors were considering Multiple Sclerosis as a possible diagnosis, Krasley added, "But we're not sure about that. That's why I go see the neurologists, the earliest that they have is July 29." She then ended the vlog on a positive note, telling her fans, "Always remember that you're worth it, you're good enough, take it minute by minute, and I love you guys."

Krasley died while surrounded by loved ones at her home, per her obituary. She was 30 years old. In addition to her televised appearance on "My 600-lb Life," she was very passionate about dancing, and she even started a "dancing has no size limit" trend on TikTok. Krasley is survived by multiple family members, including her mother, Cathy, her wife, Elizabeth, and her sister, Ali.

Destinee LaShaee made history as the first transgender person to star in TLC's "My 600-lb Life," when she appeared on Season 7 in 2019. LaShaee had been very open with how her depression had contributed to her weight gain. She explained in an episode, "I feel like all I'm constantly doing is just trying to escape all my depression and pain at this point," adding, "Food is the only thing I have to turn to, to do that." LaShaee seemingly decided to join the show when she reached a whopping 668 pounds.

LaShaee went on to find success on the series, losing over 500 pounds. She showed off her continuing progress afterward on social media, too, like when she shared an Instagram post about her transformation in January 2022. Unfortunately, she had also suggested online that she was still struggling with depression. In her last post before her death, for example, she wrote, "Gracefully Broken," alongside mending heart and prayer emojis. In a Facebook post shared on her late sister's page that February, LaShaee seemingly admitted, "If I Was Surrounded By All My Tears I'd Be Floating In the Ocean."

Sadly, her brother, Wayne Compton, shared on Facebook that LaShaee had died at age 30 just a few days later. While he didn't confirm a cause of death, he wrote in part, "I'm sorry you felt alone. ... I'm sorry you felt you had no other option." TLC also released a statement (via ET) that read, "Our deepest sympathies go out to Destinee's family and loved ones at this difficult time."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Ashley Randall (pictured left) was only 24 years old when she began her seven-year journey on the first season of "My 600-lb Life," which aired back in 2012. She had reached 617 pounds when she decided to go on the show after turning to food to deal with her beloved father's death. To make matters worse, her mother (pictured right) often criticized her weight. Having followed Dr. Now's weight loss program between 2004 and 2011, Randall was able to lose around 400 pounds, which landed her at 253 pounds when the show was over. However, she still needed to lose more weight to qualify for the skin removal surgery on her legs, which was most important to Randall. 

Unfortunately, in 2015, it was learned on the "Where Are They Now?" special that Randall had stopped her weight loss program and gained weight again, hitting 312 pounds. Once again, she was told by Dr. Now that she had to lose more weight. While Randall had left that episode apparently determined not to give up, it was unclear what happened to her up until her death in October 2021. At that time, Randall had contracted a serious infection and then pneumonia when she was hospitalized. Soap Dirt reports she was eventually taken off life support and died of sepsis.

Although it's devastating that Randall died at the young age of 40, she did make amends with her mother years before her death. In 2013, she even shared a Facebook photo of them together, writing, "Thank you mom love you."

Renee Biran had once capitalized on her weight as a former plus size model. However, once she reached 631 pounds, she apparently realized her life was in danger and appeared on Season 6 of "My 600-Lb Life." She admitted on an episode, "Getting out of bed for me is very painful. ... Every morning it gets harder to move and harder to breathe." Biran's weight issues had begun during her childhood, when she was molested by her stepfather. She later got pregnant as a teen and entered an abusive marriage, with food continuing to be her escape. Eating even became a way for Biran to make money, as she did it online for men with fetishes.

While Biran was able to lose 250 pounds on the show, she hit another roadblock in 2019 when she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a neurological disorder that attacks the nerves. Because of that, she had to postpone her excessive skin removal surgery. Biran had later wrote in since-deleted Facebook posts about it taking a toll on her health, but she appeared to be positive, sharing inspirational quotes and suggesting she may have even gotten married.

When Biran eventually went quiet on social media, it was discovered that she had died in May 2021 at age 56. While the cause of death isn't known, her obituary stated in part, "She was a dedicated mother, sister, grandmother, aunty, niece, and friend to all in her life."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Laura Ann Perez joined "My 600-Lb Life" in Season 7, when she had needed a wheelchair and an oxygen tank to get her 594-pound body around. Perez's weight problems stemmed from her finding comfort in food after hiding that she was sexually abused as a child. While she was able to lose the weight she needed in order to qualify for a gastric bypass surgery, it was discovered that her liver and spleen had become enlarged, so Perez ended up getting a gastrectomy instead, with Dr. Now removing 80% of her stomach. 

However, she had another health scare after filming, nearly dying of pneumonia. Perez eventually recovered and got her weight down to 182 pounds. After that, she appeared to be thriving, even divorcing her alleged enabler husband, Joey — who apparently didn't appreciate her weight loss — and moving on with another man. Around this time, Perez claimed in a since-deleted social media post, "When my ex started to tell me stuff that brought my self esteem down ... so much damage was done."

As reported by InTouch Weekly, Perez tragically died at age 48 in November 2021. While the cause of her death has since remained a mystery, some fans speculated it may have had to do with various alleged health problems stemming from her former obesity. Noting that she's survived by parents Carmen and Ruben, Perez's obituary stated, "She lived life to the fullest, adored her nieces and nephew. Laura was a free spirit who would help anyone in need. ... Laura will be greatly missed and never forgotten."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).