The Truth About My 600-Lb Life Stars' Love Lives
The love lives of My 600-lb Life stars are complicated. After all, there's a lot that happens to a person when they become a reality TV show star. They instantly become well-known to millions of people, win over fans (or get a bunch of haters), get used to being followed around by a camera, and have many of the most intimate details of their lives broadcast on television for the world to see. And that's certainly the case for the people on TLC's My 600-lb Life, who even show their bathing habits on camera, revealing every part of their body except for their private parts. That's a lot to share with the world!
In addition to having their physical bodies stripped down and shown on television, the stars' doctor's appointments, therapy sessions, eating binges, and exercise sessions are also offered up for public consumption. We're also privy to all of their interpersonal relationships, including their romantic bonds, which can often be quite juicy and full of drama. Read on to learn the truth about the love lives of My 600-lb Life stars.
Most My 600-lb Life stars have romantic partners
People who've never seen My 600-lb Life might suspect that none of the TLC show's stars have romantic partnerships, either in their past or present lives. That's likely due to the pervasive fat phobia in our culture, which perpetuates the myth that fat people are unattractive or undesirable. Obviously these things aren't true in any capacity, as everyone has different preferences when it comes to dating, and that includes a diversity of body types. And frankly, for some people, appearances just aren't as important to some as they are others — for them, it's what's inside that counts.
Indeed, the majority the My 600-lb Life stars do have meaningful romantic partnerships when they make the decision to sign up for Dr. Now's weight-loss program. Bettie Jo had husband Josh, Nicole had fiancé Charlie, Lupe had husband Gilbert, and Amber had boyfriend Rowdy, to name just a few of the show's couples. So lest you think any of the reality TV show's stars have a hard time getting lucky in love, you'd be wrong.
Many My 600-lb Life stars' partners are also enablers
As Dr. Now has often said on My 600-lb Life, most of his patients have enablers who bring them unhealthy foods, despite the fact that it's literally killing them. Oftentimes, the enablers are family members, and that, of course, can include the patients' romantic partners.
For example, Lupe's husband, Gilbert, brought the My 600-lb Life star all of the food she wanted, including a large box of doughnuts, even though she was bedridden and diabetic. Additionally, Christina was constantly enabled by her husband, who said point-blank that if she wants something he will go get it no matter what it is, because she asked him to. That was despite the fact that he also said he was scared to lose her. And Amber was shuttled to and from the grocery store for food shopping by her boyfriend Rowdy, who said he felt guilty about enabling her, but also that it was too hard to stop doing.
Each of the men professed their love for their wives and girlfriends, but they may have also had psychological issues of their own to contend with.
Many My 600-lb Life stars rely on their romantic partners
All My 600-lb Life stars have varying degrees of functionality, depending on their height, weight, health conditions, and scale of their overeating. Whereas some patients are relatively mobile and can get themselves the unhealthy foods that they crave — like Randy — others are in a much more dire predicament, such as Marla who couldn't even stand up when her episode began.
To that end, many of the stars of My 600-lb Life rely on a person (or people) to do everything for them, which quite often is their romantic partners. That includes their partners having to do everything from buying and preparing their food, bathing them, ensuring that they're dressed, transporting them (when they're mobile), and even helping them use the restroom in some cases. For example, since Lupe was confined to her bed and unable to leave it, Gilbert had to both help her bathe and clean her up after relieving herself, which she had to do in bed. That certainly could put a damper on the romance.
Some My 600-lb Life stars' romantic relationships don't last
You might be tempted to think that when the My 600-lb Life stars lose weight, become more active, and get their lives back together that their romantic relationships would also improve. After all, in many cases, their partners have been their primary caretakers, sacrificing ample time and energy to look after them.
However, in many cases, that's not what happens, as often the romantic partners don't like the changes that significant weight loss can usher in. They may feel intimidated by their significant other's newfound independence and concerned that they're no longer going to be needed. For example, when Laura shed hundreds of pounds and no longer relied on someone else for everything, her husband, Joey, became extremely unhappy. He didn't want her to be so independent and hated that she aspired to do things like go back to school and get a job. Their relationship got so stressed that the couple ended up splitting up for good. Laura eventually found herself a new man, which she celebrated in a now-deleted Facebook post (via Starcasm).
It's not difficult for My 600-lb Life stars to find new romantic partners
Just as you might be tempted to think it's hard for My 600-lb Life stars to find romance once, you might also suspect that if their primary romantic relationship crashes and burns, they won't be able to find someone new. Certainly partnering up with someone who's over 600 pounds means you also take on a role that demands a lot of support and understanding.
However, that's just not the case at all, as when some of the stars of My 600-lb Life split up or get a divorce from their romantic partners, they have no trouble finding someone new to be by their side. That's what happened for Tanisha, whose husband Troy walked out on her because he wasn't willing to support her on her weight loss journey. And while that devastated her temporarily, nearly derailing her progress altogether, she was eventually able to move on. She had a new boyfriend named David before her episode was even halfway over, showing just how easily she was able to find new love.
Some of the romantic partners of My 600-lb Life stars have a thing for bigger sizes
One thing that's not particularly surprising is that some of the romantic partners of the stars on My 600-lb Life have a thing for women with extremely large bodies. While there's nothing wrong with being attracted to larger people, reducing them to someone who you're only with because of their size is where it becomes problematic. So if the My 600-lb Life stars ever want to make changes to improve their lifestyle, that's going to create some problems for their partners, for sure.
Indeed that was the case for Zsalynn, whose husband Gareth was exceedingly forthcoming that he only likes large women. The couple met on a fat fetish website, where Zsalynn posted pictures of herself in her underwear. Eventually they got married and had a child, but, when Zsalynn decided she wanted to do something about her increasingly dangerous size, Gareth wasn't having it. He was so unsupportive of her weight loss journey that they eventually divorced, which, in the long run, was the best thing for Zsalynn, as her health is far better off.
Some My 600-lb Life stars find healthier relationships after weight loss
Another factoid that's not too surprising about the love lives of My 600-lb Life stars is that many of them find healthier romantic relationships once they've turned their lives around. It makes sense, as they're no longer engaging in the same extremely destructive behaviors that got their weight up so high to begin with. Additionally, a person has more to bring to the table in a partnership when they're healthy, ambitious, and capable.
For example, a couple of years after Zsalynn divorced Gareth and lost a significant amount of weight, she posted a photo on her Facebook page of her gazing adoringly at a new man. By the looks of it, Zsalynn found happiness with a new boyfriend, who is likely way more supportive of her health than her ex was. Additionally, Lupe was able to find a new boyfriend after her time on the show, according to a post on her Facebook page.
Even the most controversial My 600-lb Life stars can find love
Easily one of the most controversial patients on My 600-lb Life is Steven Assanti, whose double episode alongside his brother Justin debuted at the end of Season 5. Steven was quite the bully not just to his brother but also to the people around him, famously throwing a jar of urine on the ground at a hospital, stealing his brother's painkillers, and attempting to manipulate Dr. Now and his staff into giving him pills he didn't need. He's also posted some seriously bizarre videos on YouTube.
However, all of the My 600-lb Life star's wild antics seem to be behind him now that he's married to a massage therapist from Iowa. And while some people think it's some kind of scam, Steven's wife, Stephanie, has publicly professed her love for him. "His face his eyes and hair I think he's beautiful," she gushed in an interview with Starcasm, adding, "[Steven is] nothing like how he was perceived on the TV show at all or on his YouTube videos. He's a gentlemen and a fantastic lover and lover of life in general." They even have matching tattoos!
Who saw that one coming?
There are some My 600-lb Life stars who stay with their significant other
Despite the fact that many of the existing romantic partnerships on My 600-lb Life dissolve once the patient stops compulsively overeating and self-destructing, there are some couples that are solid enough to weather the storm that comes with dramatic weight loss. In fact, they can come out even stronger on the other side, having worked together to change their habits.
One particularly successful relationship is the one between Nicole and her fiancé, Charlie. While Charlie was her primary caretaker and enabler on her episode, Nicole was determined to be successful on Dr. Now's program, so she changed her diet and exercise habits. Although Charlie struggled a little bit when giving up some foods, he was generally supportive, and the couple celebrated six years together in August of 2019, according to a since-deleted post on her Facebook page.
Additionally, Bettie Jo and Josh are still together, and they are parents, according to an interview the My 600-lb Life star did with Starcasm. Congratulations, you two!
Some romantic partners of My 600-lb Life stars are also overweight
Some of the romantic partners of My 600-lb Life stars are overweight themselves. Of course, not all of them are, but several of the spouses and partners struggle with their own eating issues, with some of them even qualifying for weight loss surgery themselves.
One particular instance of this scenario was with Nissa, the spouse of Chuck, who had sought the help of Dr. Now to get his weight under control. Although he had a bit of rocky start, Chuck did eventually manage to lose weight and qualify for weight loss surgery. He also eventually had a large lymphedema mass surgically removed from his leg. But Chuck wasn't the only one to go under the knife, as Nissa also had weight loss surgery, hoping to get a better handle on her own health.
Eventually Chuck and Nissa ended up divorcing, according to a post on his Facebook page. That isn't surprising to anyone who saw the episode, as Nissa often looked like she was at the end of her rope. We hope they're both happy now, though.
Intimacy can be difficult for My 600-lb Life stars
As you can imagine, there are several different barriers to intimacy for some My 600-lb Life stars and their romantic partners. For one, when you weigh over 600 pounds, it can be quite difficult to have the physical stamina that intimacy requires. Additionally, excess body fat can serve as an obstacle, as it can get in the way of a person's private parts. Plus finding the spark to get in the mood might be difficult when your partner is responsible for cleaning your sensitive areas.
That was a problem for Chuck and Nissa, something that Nissa lamented about as she felt more like a servant than a wife. That was also an issue for Bettie Jo and Josh, who had never had intimate relations as Bettie Jo had previous trauma that limited her desires.
Although things didn't work out for Nissa and Chuck, obviously things went better for Bettie Jo and Josh, as they're proud parents, according to an interview she gave to Starcasm in 2018. Given what has to happen in order for someone to get pregnant, their situation has obviously changed.
Some My 600-lb Life stars are abusive to their romantic partners
The vast majority of My 600-lb Life stars have endured trauma in one form or another, including abuse from family members who are supposed to love and protect them. Still, that doesn't stop some of the patients on the show from perpetuating abuse themselves and hurting their romantic partners.
Of all of the participants on the show, Lee stands out as especially mean. He was both verbally and physically abusive to his girlfriend Rena, something that Dr. Now acknowledged as a real problem, as did their therapist. That persisted in their follow-up episode, despite the fact that Lee made efforts to control his anger issues.
It's not just the stars who are abusive to their partners, as sometimes the abuse goes the other way. For example, Gareth was horrible to Zsalynn in her episode, telling her that if she wants a salad she should "go in the garden and graze," which was super cruel. And Christina eventually split from her ex-husband Zach, calling him abusive in her follow-up episode. Good riddance!
Not all of the My 600-lb Life stars are faithful to their romantic partners
Infidelity can be a problem in any relationship, as it affects 50 percent of partnerships, according to an article in Psychology Today. That statistic also applies to the stars of My 600-lb Life, some of whom have either cheated on their partners or have been cheated on themselves.
Lee drew the ire of My 600-lb Life fans, as Rena shared in a now-deleted Facebook post that he had an affair, according to an article in Starcasm. She called an unnamed person a cheater in the post, tagging Lee, and said she was now free of "excess baggage." After that, Lee updated his relationship status in another now-deleted post, which indicated he was in a relationship with another woman, who was rumored to be married. Lee and Rena appear to have reconciled since, according to Rena's Facebook page, but who knows what the future holds for them.
Additionally, sometimes the partners of My 600-lb Life stars cheat on them. This was the case with Lupe, who discovered that Gilbert was cheating on her during her follow-up episode of My 600-lb Life.