Latonya Pottain, who was featured on TLC’s My 600-lb Life, has died at the age of 40.
Pottain passed away on Saturday, May 17, at Christus Highland Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, according to NBC News.
A preliminary autopsy indicated that her cause of death was chronic congestive heart failure. The final autopsy report is still pending.
Pottain appeared on Season 11 of My 600-lb Life, as viewers followed her journey with weight loss and her emotional struggles with food.
Having lost her mother at a young age and being abandoned by her father, Pottain used food as a source of comfort.
During her time on the show, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now, told Pottain he was ultimately unable to help her due to her failure to follow his weight-loss program.
In a GoFundMe post two months ago, Pottain opened up about the challenges she faced after her appearance on the show.
“In 2022, I was featured on My 600-lb Life, where I started at 531 pounds and worked hard to get down to 505 pounds. However, after the show aired, I experienced overwhelming backlash, which sent me into a deep depression.”
Pottain continued, “My mental health suffered, and I became fearful of undergoing weight loss surgery.”
She went on to explain that her weight had increased significantly since the show aired, stating that she had gained back much of the weight she had lost and was close to her highest weight of 740 pounds.
At the time of the fundraiser, she said she weighed around 705 pounds and had been bedridden since June 2024 due to severe health complications.
Pottain also detailed a difficult period in her life, which included a move to Houston in 2023 in search of a fresh start.
However, she soon found herself in an “abusive relationship” while also dealing with her father’s cancer diagnosis.
“Unfortunately, my health continued to decline, and I developed severe sciatica nerve pain, which caused extreme stomach cramps,” she wrote. “I was prescribed fentanyl, but my body rejected the medication, leading me to begin therapy.”
In the post, she described how her health issues had worsened to the point where she was unable to access medical care.
“Now, I am completely bedridden and unable to get to the hospital because EMTs say transporting me would be a fire hazard due to my weight,” she explained. “Without the ability to work, I have no income to purchase a car or arrange for special medical transportation.”
Pottain’s brother told TMZ that family members visited her at her home on Saturday morning, and she complained of difficulty breathing.
Later that day, the family received a call from a nurse who informed them that she had called an ambulance after going into cardiac arrest, which led to her death.
Watch Latonya’s TLC episode below:
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
