“My 600-lb. Life” reality TV star Charity Pierce has died at 50.
The TLC network personality, who weighed nearly 780 lbs. before working to get healthy, had been in hospice care for several weeks before she died early Tuesday morning, according to TMZ.
A fluid buildup in Pierce’s lungs is believed to have contributed to her death. TMZ said she was battling lymphedema as well.
She posted on Facebook in 2020 that doctor’s removed one of her kidneys following a cancer diagnosis that had her concerned because her mother died from brain cancer. Fans responded by telling Pierce she inspired them by sharing news of her ongoing quest toward wellness.
Pierce appeared on “My 600-lb. Life” in 2015 when her health issues included an infection with flesh-eating bacteria.
Last year she participated in “My 600-lb. Life: Where are They Now?” update to say she’d gotten her weight under 500 lbs. Pierce expressed optimism over being able to live a normal life again, which included being able to drive a car for the first time in 20 years.
Pierce’s daughter Charly was at her mom’s side when she died.
“I hope you know how much I love you and how grateful I was to be able to be able to die by your side when you took your last breath,” she reportedly wrote in a Facebook post that no longer appears online.
“My 600-lb. Life” debuted in 2012. The show’s 13th season concluded in February.
