What Happened To The Assanti Brothers From My 600-Lb Life?
The Assanti brothers, Steven and Justin, proved to be a couple of the most divisive participants TLC's My 600-lb Life has ever seen, from cheating on Dr. Now's diet to throwing tantrums. To be fair, most of the really bad behavior was courtesy of Steven, but poor Justin got lumped in with his brother more often than not.
Weirdly, it's Steven, one of My 600-lb Life's most controversial stars, who's come out of their shared experience slightly better, but fans' hearts will always be with the beleaguered Justin regardless. Still, if nothing else, the Assanti brothers seem to be living considerably healthier lives these days, which will surely make Dr. Now proud.
Steven Assanti got married in 2018
According to a Facebook post from May 2018, Steven Assanti married a woman named Stephanie at some point. He has mostly kept things fairly private, and at one point her page was full of swooning declarations of love. She also told Starcasm that year that her husband is "nothing like how he was perceived on the TV show at all... He's a gentlemen and a fantastic lover and lover of life in general." It was a whirlwind romance for the two, and the reality star and Iowa-based massage therapist even got matching tattoos to declare their love to the world.
In September 2019, Starcasm again reported on the couple, surmising that their marriage was on the rocks due to a lack of presence on social media. However, social media messiness doesn't necessarily mean trouble in paradise; in 2020, Steven revealed they were still together.
Justin and Steven Assanti aren't in each other lives these days
As for Justin Assanti, he's back in Rhode Island, and seems to be involved with Hobby Haven, a shop that mainly sells model kits. He has posted occasional updates on his own Facebook page as well as on a Reddit account which he uses to answer fan questions. According to Distractify, during a since-deleted AMA session, Justin revealed he and Steven no longer speak, sharing, "He doesn't bother us since he got married." Justin also noted that he has lost more than 200 pounds in the years since their episode aired.
In the same AMA, Justin confirmed that My 600-lb Life is heavily produced. Starcasm also reported that Justin previously confirmed the only thing real about the show was Steven's horrible behavior. "Steven on the show is Steven in real life. It's one of the few things not scripted," he reportedly revealed.
Still, both Assanti brothers seem to be doing well in their own ways, and if living separate lives is what's best for them, then so be it.
Steven Assanti criticized TLC's approach
In a 2020 interview with Nicki Swift, Steven revealed how TLC had "overdramatized" his story and focused on the negative aspects of it, which the self-described attention-seeker didn't agree with. As the former reality star argued, "they only show me going crazy, and yelling at people, and taking pain pills, and just all the bad stuff. They choose not to show anything that's good." Steven advised, "They filmed me and my family doing good things too, but they choose to show just the bad things."
He did, however, acknowledge that nothing was scripted. The My 600-lb Life alum described TLC producers as "aggressive," revealing that on days when he didn't feel like filming, they would wait outside his door and pester him until Steven caved. All things, considered, though, he doesn't regret taking part in the show. "I love reality TV. I love being on TV. I love being talked about," Steven shrugged. He's now taking matters into his own hands with a dedicated YouTube channel.
Steven Assanti remains fully committed to his marriage
Rumors that Steven's marriage is in trouble continue to persist and, while speaking to Nicki Swift in 2020, he admitted that Stephanie doesn't like all the attention associated with being with him. "She's not out there like me. She's a private person ...I love [the] internet, and I like interviews and being put out there on a pedestal, and she's not. She's more of a private [person], but she's awesome," he explained. The reality star revealed the two are still together but "technically separated" because they live in two different cities, about a 90-minute drive from each other.
"She's kind of doing her own thing," in Des Moines, as Steven put it, noting, "She has her job, and she's just doing her own thing right now." The couple was planning to spend the holidays together, and the My 600-lb Life alum seemed hopeful for a reconciliation down the line. He reasoned, "We're always working it out. I love her with all my heart and she loves me. We're just in two different households right now. Need a little break. Just a little break, that's all. We're fine. There's no arguing. No, nothing like that. We're cool. We're still married. She's awesome."