My 600lb Life’s first-ever transgender star has died of an apparent suicide – three years after she first spoke out about her lengthy battle with depression on the TLC reality series.
Destinee Lashaee, from Louisiana – who appeared on season seven of the weight loss show in March 2019 – has passed away at age 30, according to her family.
Her brother, Wayne Compton, confirmed the news via Facebook on Tuesday in an emotional post, in which he spoke out about his sibling’s battles with depression, suggesting that Destinee, who was born Matthew Ventress and had spent the last few years living both as Destinee and Matthew, took her own life.
In the post, Wayne wrote: ‘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 to, I’m sorry you felt you had no other option.’
My 600lb Life’s first-ever transgender star (pictured on the show) has died of apparent suicide – three years after she opened up about her battle with depression on the TLC reality series
Destinee Lashaee (pictured in January), from Louisiana – who appeared on season seven of the weight loss show in March 2019 – has sadly passed away at age 30
Her brother, Wayne Compton, confirmed the news via Facebook on Tuesday in an emotional post, writing: ‘I’m sorry you felt alone… I’m sorry you felt you had no other option’
Although Wayne did not explicitly state that Destinee took her own life, several of her friends said she killed herself amid mental health struggles. The siblings are pictured together
Although Wayne did not explicitly state that Destinee took her own life, several of her friends have said that she killed herself amid mental health struggles in Facebook posts of their own.
Before her death, Destinee (pictured in January) shared a series of alarming posts online through her late sister, Destiny Compton’s Facebook page
According to her social media pages, the former reality star has been living both as Matthew and Destinee for several years.
Before her death, Destinee shared a series of alarming posts online through her late sister, Destiny Compton’s Facebook page in which she opened up about her ongoing mental health struggles.
‘To everyone who genuinely love and support me, I love you and I’m grateful to have touched millions of lives and hearts around the world,’ she wrote on February 5.
‘Living my life with so much pain for so long I’ve come to realize that God makes no mistakes.
‘I’m grateful for my journey and all I’ve been through. I don’t regret a single moment. Love you all.’
Another post, shared one day earlier, read, ‘If I was surrounded by all my tears I’d be floating in the ocean.’
During her appearance on the show, the then 27-year-old, who weighed 668 pounds at the time, revealed that she used food to ‘dull the pain’ from her childhood.
She was born to a teenage mother and was placed into foster care at a young age, and by the time she was nine-years-old, she weighed 150 pounds.
Destinee was born as Matthew Ventress, and according to her social media pages, she has been living both as Matthew (left) and Destinee (right) for several years
During her appearance on the show, the then 27-year-old (pictured as a kid), who weighed 668 pounds at the time, revealed that she used food to ‘dull the pain’ from her childhood
Destinee (pictured as a kid) was born to a teenage mother and was placed into foster care at a young age, and by the time she was nine-years-old, she weighed 150 pounds
Destinee (pictured as a kid) came out as gay when she was 18, but was shamed by some members of her family, causing her to fall into an even deeper depression
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After attempting suicide, Destinee decided to seek help from weight loss surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzardan on My 600lb Life. She is pictured on the show
She said her weight spiraled out of control after her mother was sent to jail for shoplifting, and her father rejected her. And by the age of 15, Destinee weighed a whopping 350 pounds.
Destinee came out as gay when she was 18, but was shamed by some members of her family, causing her to fall into an even deeper depression. And during this time, she began eating more than ever.
When she was 22, she started living as a trans woman, but by then, she weighed over 400 pounds.
Three years later, Destinee’s brother Anthony died in her arms from a blood clot after having minor surgery which caused her mental health decline even more.
After attempting suicide, Destinee decided to seek help from weight loss surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzardan on My 600lb Life.
During her episode, she said: ‘I just lay here all day and wait for food. I don’t see any of my family and friends, unless they come to see me.
‘I feel like all I’m constantly doing is just trying to escape all my depression and pain at this point. Food is the only thing I have to turn to to do that.
‘The thing that is saving me every day is also what is destroying my life now to the point where I can feel it killing me.
‘My situation is at a breaking point. I need to be able to get help, I need to be able to lose this weight or they’re going to be burying me next because I don’t think I can live until next year being this big. At this rate, I give myself a couple months.
After her time in the show, Destinee went on to lose almost 500 pounds – dropping to 207 pounds in July 2021. She is pictured in 2018 (left) and 2021 (right)
In 2020, Destinee – along with other former My 600lb Life stars – sued the show’s production company, Megalomedia, over claims of negligence, infliction of emotional distress, and more
‘That’s not the future I should be facing before I’ve hardly even had a chance to live my life.
‘So as impossible and hopeless as it seems to me to try and change and give up eating like I do, I’m ready to try and find a way before it’s too late. Because if I don’t, I know I’m about to die.’
After her time in the show, Destinee went on to lose almost 500 pounds – dropping to 207 pounds in July 2021.
In April 2020, Destinee – along with several other former My 600lb Life stars – sued the show’s production company, Megalomedia, over claims of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud, and more.
She claimed Megalomedia promised to pay for mental health treatment, but in the end, they only provided her with one therapy session ‘so that it could be filmed and be part of the show,’ according to court papers obtained by The Sun.
Destinee is just one of the several former stars of the TLC show to pass away in recent years.
In August 2021, Gina Marie Krasley – who appeared on season eight of My 600lb life – died at the age of 30. Her cause of death was not revealed.
In September 2020, Coliesa McMillian – who was featured on the show in March of the same year – died of ‘complications’ from weight loss surgery at the age of 41.
James ‘LB’ Bonner sadly killed himself in 2018 at age 30, several years after documenting his weight loss struggles on the show.
Besides Destinee, Gina, Coliesa, and James, six other former My 600lb Life stars have passed away over the years.
Source: Daily Mail
