Another former star of My 600-lb Life has died. Season 7 alum Destinee LaShaee passed away at the age of 30. Her brother Wayne Compton confirmed Destinee’s death via Facebook on Feb. 8, the day after the anniversary of their sibling Destiny‘s death. “I’m sorry bro, I accept you for who you are, I accept every flaw that come with you, I’m sorry you felt alone, I’m sorry you felt you had nobody else to turn too, I’m sorry you felt you had no other option Destiny wouldn’t of wanted this, lord why keep taking my siblings away, how much can I take,” Wayne wrote. A cause of death hasn’t been confirmed.
Destinee’s brave story on the TLC reality show touched the hearts of viewers. Here’s everything to know about Destinee and her appearance on My 600-lb Life.
1. Destinee was transgender.
Destinee made history on My 600-lb Life as the first transgender star. She was born Matthew Ventress. Her historic appearance on the show was praised by fans, who rooted for Destinee and her story. Her episode aired on March 6, 2019.
2. She struggled with mental health.
Destinee was open about her mental health struggles on My 600-lb Life. “I have so much that i want to do and need to do, and I just can’t believe this is my life now. Where I just lay here all day and wait for food,” she said on the episode. “I don’t see any of my family and friends, unless they come to see me. And it’s mostly only my sister or mom.” Destinee added, “I feel like all I’m constantly doing is trying to escape my depression and pain at this point. Food is the only thing I can turn to to do that.” Destinee also hinted at struggling with depression in various Instagram posts before her death. “Gracefully Broken,” she wrote in a Jan. 30 post, which marked her final IG share before passing. Earlier that month, she shared a touching quote and wrote, “lord it’s been some battles that have come my way within the last decade.”
3. She weighed around 700 lbs. on ‘My 600-lb Life’.
Destinee weighed in at around 700 pounds on the show. She explained on the episode that food is “the thing that’s saving me everyday, is also what’s destroying my life now. To the point where I can feel it killing me.” She added, “I know there is just no way I can survive for a lot longer, because my body can’t take getting any bigger than I’ve already let it. My situation is at a breaking point. I need to get help, I need to lose this weight, or they’re going to be burying me next.”
After the show, Destinee lost roughly 500 pounds. She showed off her slimmed-down look on Instagram in the months before her death. However, her mental health seemingly continued to take a toll on her.
4. She filed a lawsuit against the show.
Destinee was one of several My 600-lb Life stars to file a lawsuit against the show’s production in 2020. They reportedly accused the reality series of “negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud, and more.” The other stars involved in filing the lawsuit included Nicole Lewis, Maja Radanovic, Gina Krasley, Alicia Kirgan, and Annajeanette Whaley.
5. She’s not the first ‘My 600-lb Life’ alum to die.
Destinee is the 11th former star of My 600-lb Life to die. Gina Krasley most recently passed in Aug. 2021. Alums Renee Biran, Robert Buchel, James King, Kelly Mason, Sean Milliken, Lisa Fleming, James Bonner, Henry Foots, and Coliesa McMillian have all also passed away since appearing on the reality show.