My 600-Lb Life’s Biggest Scandals Explained
The following article includes discussions of addiction and suicide.
A TLC reality series chronicling the tumultuous weight loss journey of various participants, since 2012 “My 600-lb. Life” has presented individuals who’ve come on the show to become healthier versions of themselves — and in some particularly desperate instances, to save their own lives. With the help of the show’s resident surgeon Younan Nowzaradan (aka “Dr. Now”) and the gastric bypass surgery he frequently performs, these individuals find their weight loss goals within grasp. Not every case is a success, however; even when they are, participants aren’t always happy with their results.
Despite the good intentions seemingly guiding the show, “My 600-lb. Life” has found itself in a great deal of controversy over the years. Some participants have claimed to suffer extreme physical, psychological, and financial distress; a slew have even filed lawsuits against the show’s production company, Megalomedia (which is owned by Nowzaradan’s son, Jonathan). 10 lawsuits were brought against Megalomedia, Inc. in 2020, but the Texas state appellate court tossed out the claims in 2022. From the death of participants to alleged fabrications and even claims of fraud, here are all the scandals “My 600-lb. Life” has stepped in.
Dr. Now was sued for botching a patient’s surgery
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Trouble has been brewing at “My 600-lb. Life” since the very beginning of the series. In 2012, just as the first season of the show was being released, Dr. Now was sued for malpractice by one of his patients, according to Radar Online. The patient, Michelle Park, claimed that he had left a piece of tubing inside her while performing a gastric sleeve surgery.
This tubing initially went unnoticed, but made its presence known in dramatic fashion some 22 months later when it punctured Park’s colon. She subsequently needed to have part of her colon removed, causing extreme physical, emotional, and financial distress. Park suddenly dismissed the suit without comment in 2013, which might give the impression that she was wrong about Dr. Now’s involvement (the lawsuit reportedly stated that tube removal is typically the anesthesiologist’s duty), but it’s also possible that she and Dr. Now settled out of court.
“The lawsuit against me was dismissed because I was not the one who left the tube,” Dr. Now told Radar Online in 2019. While Dr. Now denies any wrongdoing in Park’s case, it’s not a great look for the series, and it’s a matter never acknowledged on screen (the show was created and is produced by his son). “My 600-lb. Life” participants frequently entrust this man with their lives, so it’s worth wondering how much (if anything) they are told about this past conflict.
Gina Krasley says she was force-fed
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Prior to her death in 2021, Gina Krasley appeared as a participant in Season 8 of “My 600-lb Life.” After the show, Krasley joined multiple castmates in a lawsuit against the series. Alleging inadequate mental health resources and financial abuse, Krasley added one additional accusation to those by her castmates: that she was force-fed by the show’s producers.
Audiences saw Krasley placed on an extreme weight loss diet by Dr. Now to curb her carb intake. But Krasley claimed that what she was then instructed to do by producers came in complete opposition to Dr. Now’s directive. Rather than supporting her weight loss plan, she alleged that producers encouraged her to consume excessive amounts of food on-camera, fabricating a narrative that she was incapable of following the diet.
Krasley did as she was told, she claimed, and as a consequence never lost the weight that would have made her an eligible candidate for surgery. The series depicted Dr. Now as expressing disappointment in Krasley’s shortcomings and subsequently removing her from his care. If there was any truth to Krasley’s allegations, not only did the show neglect to support her in her weight loss journey, but it actively prevented her from losing weight before abandoning her altogether. Adding insult to injury, she was then shamed on television. She did say she lost over 200 pounds after filming. However, Krasley died in August 2021; in April 2022, a state appellate court threw out the lawsuit in its entirety.
David Bolton says he was pushed to the edge
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In 2018, David Bolton appeared alongside his brother Benji for Season 6 of “My 600-lb Life.” David explained that the brothers had come from a low-income family and couldn’t afford healthy food options, so they were basically raised on junk food. Research corroborates the Boltons’ experiences — studies have shown a correlation between poverty and obesity. While on the show, both brothers were able to drop a significant amount of weight, qualifying them for bariatric surgery. While David Bolton had success on the show, he subsequently filed a 2020 lawsuit (via RealityBlurb) claiming his health had been largely ignored by producers.
“David Bolton was taken advantage of by the producers of a reality show that was focused only on ratings, while neglecting the welfare of those who appeared on the show,” read the suit, explaining that his mental health had been ignored — and that bariatric surgery has been shown to lead to an increase in suicidal ideation in patients. “Despite this literature, and although Defendants were now in their sixth season of the show and thus had extensive experience with many participants such as the Plaintiff, Defendants provided absolutely no mental health assistance.”
The suit also claimed that the show had promised to cover medical bills but had failed to do so. Bolton is represented by the same firm that filed a suit by James LB Bonner’s family against “My 600-lb Life”; Bonner died by suicide in 2018 after appearing on the show.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Robert Buchel died during production
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Robert Buchel has become one of the most tragic stories chronicled by “My 600-lb. Life.” He appeared in Season 6 seeking help for a crippling food addiction that had left him bedridden. Buchel had started the show by losing 300 pounds and undergoing lymphedema removal surgery. However, things soon took a turn for the worse, as Buchel’s battles with depression and drug addiction began to interfere with the progress he seemed to be making on the show.
While audiences watched with hopeful eyes as Buchel made strives toward realizing his goal of weight loss, sinister forces were at work behind the scenes. Buchel either developed an addiction to painkillers after the surgery or had an addiction before the surgery even happened. He tore his stitches and quit his exercise plan to attempt to get more. These factors resulted in Buchel being kicked out of his rehabilitation center. Buchel then suffered a fatal heart attack while filming the show at a hospital on Nov. 15, 2017.
While over 10 of the show’s participants have died at some point following their appearance, Buchel was the first subject to die mid-production, before his episode even had the chance to hit the airwaves. TLC announced his death following an episode in February 2018 and released a statement expressing condolences for the unfortunate loss: “TLC was deeply saddened by the loss of Robert. We are grateful to his family who were gracious enough to let us continue to share his brave story with our viewers. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time.”
Jeanne Covey says she was forced to film
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Jeanne Covey appeared alongside her mother, Barbara Fallaw, in Season 7 of “My 600-lb. Life.” Their stint on the show almost came to an early close when Covey’s father and Fallaw’s husband, Lawrence Charles Corrao, died six months into filming. Suffering from grief, the two had initially decided to quit the show.
This would’ve been unprecedented, as no other participant in the show’s history had bowed out before the yearlong filming process was complete, so producers were quick to do damage control. Despite the distress Covey and Fallaw were facing, producers declined their request to discontinue filming and even threatened to sue them if they did not meet the show’s demands and return to production. The two were frightened by this counter-attack, so they gave in and stuck it out for the rest of filming.
Unfortunately, due to the emotional turmoil she was suffering, Covey had a difficult time adhering to her diet, which she was then shamed for on the show. Not only was she forced to film after her father’s death, but she was then punished for not being the perfect participant. Covey and Fallaw have since retaliated against the show with a lawsuit detailing this situation, among many other grievances, including unpaid medical bills producers had allegedly promised to cover.
Destinee Lashaee had a breakdown
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Destinee Lashaee appeared as a participant in Season 7 of “My 600-lb Life.” She opened up about how she often used food as a coping mechanism to deal with her depression but was at a point in her life when she knew she needed to change. While the show was ultimately successful in helping her lose weight, it became evident after she filed a lawsuit against the production company in 2020 that Lashaee wasn’t completely satisfied with how her time on the series unfolded
Amidst the long list of grievances included in the lawsuit, Lashaee claimed the show exhibited a complete lack of compassion for her mental and emotional well-being. This encompassed a lack of mental health resources, but also insensitivity regarding her gender identity. Despite knowing Lashaee was transgender and often struggled with gender dysphoria, the show producers pressured Lashaee to shave her beard on camera. This was a sensitive issue for Lashaee, and the shaving scene was so traumatic that Lashaee had a breakdown, kicking the crew out of her home and making suicidal threats. Rather than de-escalating the situation and giving her some space, producers then returned to capture more footage. When she pushed back against this exploitation, Lashaee claimed she was met with financial threats from producers.
In February 2022, following her time on the show, Lashaee died. While the exact cause of death is unconfirmed, a social media post from her brother alludes to a possible suicide (via Deadline). Anyone could see that Lashaee was struggling, but the show expressed no regard for her safety, and this ultimately had devastating consequences.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Marla McCants says the show lied about her surgery
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Marla McCants appeared in Season 3, sharing that emotional overeating had left her bedridden and unable to accomplish everyday tasks on her own. With hard work and the aid of Dr. Now, McCants was able to drop a significant amount of weight and has since dedicated herself to helping others as a motivational speaker. While McCants is now a proud advocate for healthy living, she’s not necessarily an advocate for the show that got her there.
Despite her inspiring journey, McCants has heavily criticized the show with claims of fakery and unethical production practices. For example, McCants said the show lied about the timing of her surgeries to make her look bad on camera. There’s a moment in the show where McCants is seen in bed, refusing to get up. According to the episode, this happened about a year after she had undergone gastric bypass surgery, so her unwillingness to rise is just due to laziness. However, McCants claims this moment had actually happened one month after the surgery, and she was still in recovery. She was malnourished and bleeding, not lazy, but the show manipulated the narrative to make it more entertaining for audiences and more damning against McCants.
Alicia Kirgan says the show faked her mental health exam
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Alicia Kirgan appeared in Season 6 of “My 600-lb. Life” after her boyfriend had threatened to break up with her if she didn’t lose weight. Viewers rooted her on as she took up an inspiring journey that showed her shedding close to 200 pounds by the end of her first episode. Despite her successful transformation, Kirgan has expressed contempt for some of the production practices she fell victim to while on the show.
In a lawsuit filed against Megalomedia, Kirgan claimed not only financial abuse and a lack of mental health resources but also a total fiasco of fabrication. Kirgan claims that in addition to brushing off her cries for help and partially scripting her one therapy session, producers altogether faked her mental health examination.
To be eligible for surgery, patients must pass this evaluation. However, rather than ensuring Kirgan was mentally sound enough to undergo the operation, producers all but coached her into providing specific answers. If she answered one of the questions wrong, her exam was trashed, and she was given a new one to complete. It seems participant safety is dangerously low on the list of priorities for producers of “My 600-lb. Life.”
Coliesa McMillian never recovered from surgery
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Coliesa McMillian appeared in Season 8 of “My 600-lb. Life” to share a tragic tale. At the age of 39, McMillian had suffered a heart attack but couldn’t be operated on because of her weight. While she survived this ordeal, it was a real wake-up call, and she knew that if she wanted to live, she needed to make some drastic changes. In March 2020, while on the show, McMillian underwent gastric sleeve surgery, and it seemed she was finally getting the help she needed.
It would then come as quite a shock when it was announced later that year that McMillian had passed away. While the exact cause of her death remains unclear, the general information available points to complications from her surgery. In the show, McMillian seems to make a full recovery, but this may not be the case. Following news of her death, McMillian’s niece (who also works as a nurse), Blair Shelton, took to social media to clear up some confusion.
Shelton claimed that the show provided an inaccurate version of events, as McMillian never fully recovered from surgery. According to Shelton, McMillian suffered hemorrhaging immediately after the operation and Dr. Now had to perform an additional emergency surgery. Shelton said that McMillian was then admitted to the ICU on a ventilator, and in the months that followed, she suffered a variety of complications including paralysis, sepsis, and kidney failure, all of which would culminate in her death on Sept. 22, 2020.
Dottie Perkins says the show lied about her weight
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Dottie Perkins was a Season 4 participant on “My 600-lb. Life,” but viewers of the show would never recognize her if they saw her now. While she’s managed to lose a lot of weight since she first began working with Dr. Now, it was a tough process for her, which she claims was exacerbated by the manipulation and inaccurate representation of her on-screen arc.
From what viewers see in the show, Perkins was initially unable to stick to the diet Dr. Now had placed her on. Unable to trust that she would heed his advice, Dr. Now had her hospitalized to ensure a more monitored eating pattern, which also prevented her from obtaining weight loss surgery. However, as detailed in a lawsuit filed against Megalomedia, Perkins claims that this was a fully fabricated narrative.
According to Perkins, not only did producers force her to eat excessively so that it would appear to audiences that she was a poor participant, but the show also outright lied about her weight loss. Despite that Perkins was hard at work shedding pounds, the show falsely claimed that she was not losing but gaining weight, a lie that would set up and justify her hospitalization arc.
Nicole Lewis sued the show for fraud
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Nicole Lewis appeared as a Season 5 participant of “My 600-lb. Life” who was looking to turn her life around with the help of Dr. Now and lost 160 pounds throughout her episode. Following her time on the show, Lewis filed a lawsuit against the show’s production company, Megalomedia, alleging a long list of grievances including financial abuse. This abuse is something that several of Lewis’ fellow participants have also chronicled in their lawsuits, all claiming that the show had promised to pay for their medical treatment and surgeries but failed to do so.
While Lewis’ claims are similar, her suit takes it a step further by claiming not only a lack of payment but outright fraud. According to Lewis, it’s not just that the show never came through on its promise to foot the bill for medical expenses, but she alleges they never intended to keep that promise in the first place. They intentionally lied to participants about compensation, knowing full well that participants would never see that money.
James Bonner’s family says the show drove him to suicide
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James “L.B.” Bonner appeared in February of 2018 as a Season 6 participant of “My 600-lb. Life.” Bonner had dropped over 300 pounds during his stay on the show, and it seemed he had a bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately, Bonner’s story came to an abrupt end after he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound later that year.
While many families often struggle to find answers in the wake of a loved one’s suicide, Bonner’s family was quick to name a culprit. Early in 2020, they sued Megalomedia for allegedly acting as a contributing factor to Bonner’s death, claiming Bonner suffered extreme physical, emotional, and financial issues as a result of his involvement in the show.
The family notes that while on the show, Bonner became physically ill, even losing his teeth and vision at one point. Despite his distress, he was then pressured to comply with overwhelming production demands. On top of that, he was drowning in debt because the show’s producers hadn’t reimbursed him for medical expenses. When Bonner reached out to production expressing a poor mental and physical state, his concerns were completely disregarded. All of this, Bonner’s family said, pushed him towards a suicidal state.
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.
