The family of My 600lb Life star, Destinee Lashaee has confirmed her death, which is from a possible suicide.
The reality star, who was from Louisiana, and first appeared on the TLC reality show in 2019, where she spoke openly about her struggle with her weight, as well as her battle with depression, died at the age of 30.
Destinee Lashaee, who was transgender, is believed to have taken her own life, as her brother Wayne penned a heartbroken tribute to her on social media.
Sharing photos of the pair together, Wayne wrote: ‘I accept you for who you are, I accept every flaw that come with you, I’m sorry you felt alone, I’m sorry you felt you had nobody else to turn to (sic)’.
Wayne continued: ‘I’m sorry you felt you had no other option Destiny wouldn’t of wanted this, lord why keep taking my siblings away, how much can I take (sic)’.
Friends of Lashaee paid their condolences under Wayne’s heart-breaking post, with hundreds saying they would be praying for them.
The family had been struck with tragedy following the death of their brother Anthony and younger sister Destiny, and Lashaee had allegedly been sharing her own mental health struggles through Destiny’s page in recent weeks.
As seen by the Mail Online, Destinee Lashaee recently shared a post to her sister’s page where she wrote: ‘To everyone who genuinely love and support me, I love you and I’m grateful to have touched millions of lives and hearts around the world (sic).
‘Living my life with so much pain for so long I’ve come to realize that God makes no mistakes.
‘I’m grateful for my journey and all I’ve been through. I don’t regret a single moment. Love you all.’
Destinee Lashaee appeared on the seventh series of TLC’s My 600lb Life at the age of 27, explaining she used food to ‘dull the pain’ from her mental health struggles and difficult childhood, and the trauma of her brother dying suddenly in her arms from a blood clot.
A suicide attempt and steadily declining mental health led Lashaee to seek help from Dr Younan Nowzardan on the reality show, where she revealed she would eat to ‘escape all my depression and pain’.
She voiced her fears at the time that her weight would eventually kill her, and in the years after the show dropped almost 500 pounds.
After appearing on My 600 lb. Life, Ventress continued chronicling his weight loss journey on Instagram. He lost over 500 pounds after the show. In July 2021, Ventress told fans on Instagram he now weighed 207 pounds.
“I told the show I was gonna be one of the biggest success stories they ever seen tho that experience messed me up mentally n with everything else I was dealing with I kept pushing I’m still pushing,” Ventress wrote at the time.
“Somebody wants to Give up Today Please don’t definitely take breaks there important but please never give up you are strong and you are beautiful at any size and any gender be your true self walk your truth n watch how strong n powerful you’ll be.”
Destinee often updated her followers on her fitness journey on social media, with her Instagram account filled with comparison pictures and motivational quotes.