What happened to My 600-lb Life star James King after the show? Details explored

Season 5 of My 600-lb Life featured James King, one of the heaviest contestants in the show at that time. Weighing in at 791 lbs., James struggled to reduce his weight while maintaining a healthy diet. He was discharged from the show due to his inability to follow the weight loss program rules. When he left the series, he weighed 840 lbs.

My 600-lb Life's Dr. Younan Nowzaradan hoped to change James' life by regulating his eating habits and lifestyle. Despite making him follow a strict routine, James' health continued to deteriorate, while his weight kept increasing. It led Dr. Nowzaradan to believe James' wife, Lisa Raisor King, secretly gave food to her husband in the hospital. As a result, Dr. Nowzaradan called Adult Protective Services on her, dismissing James from the show.

Soon after his journey on the weight loss show ended, his health plummeted. On April 3, 2020, 49-year-old James passed away at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Sun reported on April 6, 2020, that the My 600-lb Life cast member died of kidney failure. They also claimed that he weighed 500 lbs. at the time of his death.

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My 600-lb Life star James King had a difficult childhood

James grew up living in a broken family. Unable to handle the pressure of the circumstances, he turned to food for comfort. Soon enough, what helped him ease his pain turned into an addiction. The star was raised by his father, who remortgaged his home to gather the money for James' treatment.

However, James' relationship with his mother was rather unpleasant. In an episode, he revealed that he met his mother only three times as a child and all three times, she was intoxicated. As a result, her presence in his life was negligible. James grew up with his brother in the care of their father, who tried to support them financially and emotionally.

The My 600-lb Life star reunited with his mother later in life, admitting she made him feel fulfilled. Three months after they rekindled their relationship, James' mother passed away. He struggled to come to terms with her death. However, when he heard that his family home had burned down while they were at the funeral, he became miserable.

He became depressed and stopped attending school. Troubled by his family's poverty and his mother's loss, James turned to food to survive.

"I never knew if we were going to have enough to eat so I just started to eat as much as I could when I got the chance. And I remember the joy and safety there was in food," James said.

In December 2017, James was admitted to the ICU due to sepsis, cirrhosis, and kidney failure. Dr. Nowzaradan believed Lisa was enabling his unhealthy habits, derailing his weight loss. Frustrated by the cast member's demeanor, Dr. Nowzaradan released James from the program.

The male cast member continued to live with health issues and in 2018, was featured in a special episode My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? The segment revealed that James gained weight after exiting the series, reaching 840 lbs.

Unfortunately, his health continued to deteriorate, resulting in his death in April 2020. According to his obituary posted on Milner & Orr, a funeral home and cremation service provider's website, James was fun-loving. He enjoyed watching different sports like baseball, wrestling, and hockey. He was also fond of CB Radio, which he used to connect with his friends, who called him "Cracker Jack."

TLC took to X on April 7, 2020, to inform its viewers about James' death. The post said the channel was "deeply saddened" by the loss of the cast member, extending their condolences to his family and friends.

Known for his love of egg rolls and problems with his legs, fans of My 600-lb Life often saw him as a non-compliant patient. However, after his passing, they took to different social media platforms to express their grief over the loss.

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1000-lb Sisters season 6 is set to be released on October 8, 2024, only on TLC.