My 600-Lb Life Cast Members Who Slammed TLC With Lawsuits

This article contains mentions of depression and suicide.

"My 600-lb Life" is one of TLC's most successful shows, boasting 13 seasons to date. The show follows "morbidly obese" patients for a year as they embark on a weight loss journey led by Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, better known as Dr. Now. His patients are shown at their most vulnerable moments as they face diet changes, portion control, exercise, and gastric bypass surgery. Clips from the show often resurface as compilations of cast members, like sisters Amy and Tammy Slaton, and Dr. Now's snarkiest moments, earning laughs from thousands of social media users.

However, "My 600-lb Life" has a darker side filled with untold truths. While stars like Melissa Morris, Joe Wexler, and Amber Rachdi successfully transformed their bodies while on the hit TLC show, there are also many subjects' stories on "My 600-lb Life" that didn't end well. Excessive weight loss can have negative effects on an individual's mental health and worsen their relationship with food. The National Library of Medicine reports that for "bariatric surgery patients, depressive symptoms and impulsivity in association with food have led to suboptimal results regarding weight loss and maintenance." 

For varying reasons, many "My 600-lb Life" cast members have unfortunately died. There have also been discrepancies over medical expenses and mental health services, resulting in a plethora of lawsuits against TLC's production company, Megalomedia. The business is owned by Dr. Now's son, Jonathan Nowzaradan. Here is a list of "My 600-lb Life" cast members who have slammed Megalomedia with lawsuits.

Season 6's James "L.B." Bonner lost over 200 pounds by the end of his feature. However, in 2018, he died by suicide, and his family filed a lawsuit against the show's producers for not paying for medical expenses and "gross negligence" for their lack of response to his mental health struggles. The lawsuit claimed that while filming the show, Bonner was forced to do emotionally distressing things like cut his facial hair and miss out on work opportunities. His family also wrote that Bonner was only afforded one therapy session and that Megalomedia reneged on its promise to pay bills associated with his bariatric procedure, which negatively impacted his credit.

At some point, Bonner's depression worsened to the point that it began to impact his appearance. The lawsuit detailed that the rapid weight loss caused his teeth to fall out, vision impairment, and overall despondency. The suit also claimed the pressure from the TLC show to preform affected Bonner physically and psychologically.

The Season 6 star reached out for help to no avail. Bonner reportedly texted a production assistant, "I'm not in a good place right now, it's dark" and "I had a breakdown" (via Starcasm). The reply of "Fake it till you make it" proved ineffective. James "L.B." Bonner was 30 years old at the time of his death. The family sought $1 million in damages.

David Bolton and his brother Benji Bolton appeared on a single episode during the sixth season of "My 600-lb Life." With a starting weight of 747 pounds, David was able to lose 452 pounds by the end of his TV journey and has reportedly lost even more weight since then. Despite his success, David's lawsuit against the TLC company cited unpaid bills, lack of mental health support, and traumatic experiences while filming. The suit also claimed that after David's weight loss procedure, he experienced "extreme frustration and depression" (via Starcasm). The claim also noted that the "manipulation of [David] and his family for dramatic purposes" played a major role in the decline of his mental health as well.

David also pointed out the lack of empathy displayed by the production team. His lawsuit accused Megalomedia of "failing to train their employees regarding depression, suicidal ideation, and similar symptomatology." David reportedly felt "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." 

David Bolton's attorney also represented the family of Season 6' James "L.B." Bonner who died by suicide due to depression following ill-treatment from the show. David sought $1 million in damages and aimed to make a difference for future participants of the show. Megalomedia denied responsibility for the medical expenses and David's suffering. The company's lawyer reportedly wrote in a counterclaim that all agreements between the parties were made in the form of written contracts and "the injuries, if any, suffered by [David] were caused by [his] own negligent conduct" (via Starcasm).

Maja Radanovic made her debut on Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life," weighing in at 689 pounds. Radanovic only shed 93 pounds while following Dr. Now's program, and was unable to qualify for the gastric bypass surgery. However, she continued her journey after her appearance and eventually underwent the procedure. Radanovic took legal action against Megalomedia for emotional suffering during production and not covering her medical expenses, which reportedly added to her "mental distress." Her starting weight made her more susceptible to depression and suicide, yet she claimed producers intentionally "push[ed] unbeknownst participants to the edge of an emotional cliff" (via Starcasm). The claim alleged that Radanovic's "severe emotional distress" was a result of Megalomedia's "reckless" actions.

The plaintiff believed that Megalomedia showed a clear disregard for Radanovic's health. The lawsuit stated, "Their actions are so outrageous in character and so extreme in degree that they go beyond all possible bounds of decency and are regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community." Furthermore, the document noted that boosting ratings seemed to be the main priority for the company's staff. Radanovic was also seeking $1 million as compensation for relevant bills and suffering.

Season 8's fifth episode centered around Gina Marie Krasley, who weighed 588 pounds at the episode's start. At the end of the episode, she'd lost only a little over 50 pounds and had to have her surgery postponed. In February 2020, Krasley filed a lawsuit against all of Jonathan Nowzaradan's companies affiliated with "My 600-lb Life" for over $1 million. This included Megalomedia Inc. and LLC, parent company DBA Holdings, and contractor Mansfield Films. She accused the defendants of "breach[ing] their duty of reasonable care" (via Starcasm) by not administering a psychological evaluation before she began the "extreme" diet, not providing "adequate" mental health support, inflicting emotional distress, and not training its employees to handle related depression.

Gina Marie Krasley also alleged that the production team forced her to overeat to add drama to the show. Her lawsuit stated, "they required her to eat excessive amounts of food on screen to portray her as someone who could not follow the diet. Defendants created this narrative and then for Dr. Nowzaradan to express disappointment to her for failing to follow the diet and failing to obtain the necessary amount of weight loss to be a candidate for surgery." Sadly, the 30-year-old died at her home in New Jersey with her loved ones present in August 2021. Her death occurred before a ruling was made on the case.

Jeanne Covey appeared in Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life." By the end of her journey, Covey weighed 388 pounds, significantly less than her starting weight of 702 pounds. Despite her transformation, the cast member filed a lawsuit against the show's production company for the same reason the others did — Megalomedia allegedly reneged on paying medical bills. In this case, the amount of the medical expenses was specified to be $70,000.

Additionally, Covey claimed the producers faked a lot of her episode and actually threatened her and her mother, Barbara Fallaw, with a lawsuit if they did not continue to film after the death of her father. Per Starcasm, the lawsuit read, "These threats and demands significantly worsened Ms. Covey's already weakened emotional state." The plaintiff claimed the producers used this as an opportunity to push the narrative that she was failing to adhere to Dr. Now's diet and exercise plan, thus ineligible for surgery. 

Interestingly, a soundbite of Covey trying to quit the show was played during her episode. Speaking for her mom as well, she said, "With my dad gone, we can't leave the dogs alone, and I can't go by myself. So I'm just not in a place to do Dr. Now's program. I know I have to lose weight, and I don't have a lot of time if I don't, but I don't know what to do about it right now." Although Covey didn't lose enough to qualify for the bariatric surgery, Megalomedia allegedly agreed to pay for her mother Fallaw's hernia surgery for continuing to participate in the show.

Dorothy "Dottie" Perkins appeared in three episodes of Season 4's "My 600-lb Life." As a result of Dr. Now's plan, Perkins went from 641 pounds to 295 pounds, a standout accomplishment in the show's history. Her lawsuit was the same as the previously mentioned stars regarding medical expenses and accusations of dramatization. However, what makes Perkins' claim unique is that she accused Megalomedia of lying to viewers about the progress of her weight journey. During the show, Dr. Now ordered the plaintiff to stay in the hospital so his team could monitor what she was eating. This was reportedly just done to add some razzle-dazzle to the storyline.

According to the lawsuit, the producers forced Perkins to eat large amounts of unhealthy food. This would, in turn, cause her to butt heads with Dr. Now. Per Starcasm, the lawsuit read, "He would criticize her for not being able to follow the diet. [Megalomedia] falsely portrayed that Plaintiff was gaining weight when she was actually losing weight. Ultimately, this resulted in her being admitted to a hospital so her diet could be monitored." Perkins also sought compensation for the three weight-loss surgeries she underwent between appearances on "My 600-lb Life" and its "Where Are They Now?" spin-off. Unfortunately, Perkins died at age 44 on June 14, 2025.

At 23 years old, Nicole Lewis appeared on Season 5 of "My 600-lb Life." At the start of her episode, she weighed 684 pounds, and ended her feature engaged and 163 pounds lighter. Lewis was the seventh cast member to sue Megalomedia for unpaid medical expenses and other broken promises. The plaintiff called the company fraudulent for agreeing to pay for her surgeries in exchange for participation in their shows. On "My 600-lb Life," Lewis underwent a gastric sleeve procedure and was promised an excess skin removal surgery for participating in the "Where Are They Now?" spin-off. However, the latter surgery never took place. 

"As set forth above, Defendants [Megalomedia] made a material representation to Plaintiff [Nicole Lewis] that was false, that is, that they would cover all medical bills associated with the medical and surgeries if she would agree to participate in the show," the legal document read (via Starcasm). "Defendants knew the representation was false or made it recklessly as a positive assertion without any knowledge of its truth."

Furthermore, in the lawsuit, Lewis claimed the producers also promised to move her to Houston and pay her rent for six months. The plaintiff said that despite Megalomedia's failure to keep its end of the agreements, she was expected to continue filming and adjust her schedule for their convenience. Her lawsuit claimed that the company's failures "caused her injury and damages."

Annjeanette Whaley made her debut on Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life" at 679 pounds. By the end of her journey with Dr. Now, Whaley received surgery and lost 274 pounds. She joined the string of lawsuits filed against Megalomedia in 2020 with many of the same claims as her previously mentioned cast mates. She was also the third at this point to accuse the production company of fraud. As a result of the studio's failure to cover the costs related to her medical care, Whaley said she experienced additional "mental distress" and "relied on those promises to her detriment" (via Starcasm).

Supporting her claims of financial challenges, Whaley started a GoFundMe for a wedding dress ahead of her October 2022 ceremony. "I am getting married on October 22, 2022, and I'm hoping to be able to wear something I feel beautiful in on the day that's supposed to be the best day of my life," Whaley wrote on the fundraising page (via TV Shows Ace). "I am on disability so with bills and monthly other emergencies coming up I just can't afford the dress. A lot of people have told me to start a fundraiser so I thought I'd give this a shot." She raised $160 by her wedding month.

Season 7 star Destinee Lashaee began her episode of "My 600-lb Life" at 669 pounds. Amid dealing with family drama and the grief of her brother's death, Lashaee, the first trans star on the show, was able to shed 229 pounds by the end of her journey with Dr. Now. "I feel like all I'm constantly doing is just trying to escape all my depression and pain at this point," Lashaee said on the show. "And food is the only thing I have to turn to to do that. But the thing that's saving me every day is also what's destroying my life now, to the point where I can feel it killing me." 

Given her existing mental health struggles, the pressure placed on Lashaee by producers reportedly only worsened her psychological state. Similar to a few of the previously mentioned cast members, her lawsuit sought damages for emotional distress and negligence.

Like other cast members, Lashaee accused Megalomedia of scripting and exaggerating scenes, noting that when she challenged them, they'd threaten to stop payments for her weight loss surgery. Producers also reportedly made her change her appearance, a traumatic scene that ended up being cut — just one of the many things "My 600-lb Life" hid from viewers. "Defendants also pressured [Destinee Lashaee] to shave her face, which is a source of stress and anxiety to Plaintiff," the lawsuit stated (via Starcasm). "The stress led Plaintiff to have a breakdown in which she kicked the producers out of her home, and threatened to kill them and herself. Rather than attempt to de-escalate the situation, the producers returned to the home in hopes of getting more dramatic footage." Lashaee died by suicide in 2022 at age 29.

Alicia Kirgan appeared on Season 6 of "My 600-lb Life" with a starting weight of 622 pounds. She lost 186 pounds and weighed 436 pounds by her episode's end. She underwent bariatric surgery and appeared on an episode of "Where Are They Now?" in 2020. Despite this, Kirgan filed a lawsuit against Megalomedia for unpaid medical debt, lack of therapy, and fakery for views.

The unique aspect of Kirgan's lawsuit is that she accused the show's team of tampering with her medical questionnaire for her operation. "Plaintiff was provided a five-question mental health survey a couple of hours before her procedure that asked questions with true or false answers," the lawsuit read (via Starcasm). "If she answered one of the questions 'incorrectly,' the producers would take the form away and give her another until she answered all of the questions 'correctly.'"

The lawsuits of Maja Radanovic, Jeanne Covey, Barbara J. Fallaw, Dorothy "Dottie" Perkins, Annjeanette Whaley, Alicia Kirgan, and Destinee Lashaee were brought together in a consolidated case against Megalomedia, which filed Texas Citizen's Participation Act (TCPA) motions to dismiss it. In 2022, the Thirteenth Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the company after a series of appeals to dismiss all claims filed by the "My 600-lb Life" stars.

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