“My 600-lb Life” star Charity Pierce has died. She was 50.
Pierce was in hospice care for at least a month before her death on Tuesday due to ongoing medical conditions, including lymphedema and fluid buildup in her lungs, according to TMZ.
Lymphedema is tissue swelling caused by an accumulation of protein-rich fluid that’s usually drained through the body’s lymphatic system, per the Mayo Clinic.
Charity Pierce. TLCPierce’s daughter, Charly Jo, confirmed her death in a Facebook post.
“I wasn’t going to post about this. But … the calling and the texting is making my head feel like it’s on fire,” Charly Jo wrote, per TMZ. “Almost all immediate family knows so, my mom passed away today. She’s up with her momma and brother and sister and she’s finally at peace. Fly high momma. I hope you know how much I love you.”
Charity Pierce with her daughter, Charly Jo. Charity Pierce/Facebook
Charity Pierce in a selfie photo from 2024. Charity Pierce/Facebook
Charity Pierce in a Facebook photo. Charity Pierce/FacebookPierce appeared on Season 3 of the hit TLC series in March 2015.
At her heaviest, Pierce weighed 778 pounds at age 39.
When she returned for “My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?,” Pierce revealed she underwent gastric surgery and multiple skin surgeries to lose weight.
“I don’t go around my family much because it’s hard to see them,” she said during the episode. “So with all that, I’m feeling very isolated and alone most days.”
Charity Pierce on TLC’s “My 600-lb Life.” TLC
Charity Pierce on “My 600-lb Life.” TLCPierce also tearfully told viewers, “I’m embarrassed by my body. I don’t want anyone to see it. I look completely different than anybody else. I’m embarrassed of me. I know I look like a freak.”
The reality star dealt with complications from the skin removal surgeries like infections.
“Losing weight has been a lot harder than I ever expected,” she said on the show. “Since I’ve lost so much weight, the excess skin on my stomach has been causing a lot of problems. I’ve been getting a lot of cellulitis infections.”
Charity Pierce with a doctor. Charity Pierce/Facebook
Charity Pierce using a walker. Charity Pierce/Facebook“I’ve had to go back to the hospital a couple of times in the past month to be treated, and it’s frustrating because it’s really hard to keep making progress with these complications. And my body is still really misshapen,” Pierce also shared.
According to TMZ, Pierce faced more health issues in recent years like a kidney cancer diagnosis that required surgery.
